<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Bhupendra Yadav and Parshottam Rupala jointly chaired the Inter-Ministerial Meeting with the States on the issues of Crop Residue Management in New Delhi today.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">The Ministers held intense discussions with the states to check the burning of stubble.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Speaking on this occasion, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that there is a need to fix the accountability of the collectors in the stubble burnig-affected districts by the respective state governments.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">He said, that the states should promote widespread use of bio-decomposer developed by the Pusa Institute for the effective decomposition of stubble.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">In his address, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav called for immediate implementation of effective measures by the affected state to address the challenge of stubble burning.  </span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">AIR Correspondent reports that during the meeting, it was informed that the states need to ensure effective utilization of over two lakh machines supplied by the Center during the last 4 years for crop residue management.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">In addition, 47 thousand machines are being provided during the current year. Under the Central Scheme on Crop Residue Management, the government is already providing financial assistance to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to combat air pollution in Delhi and its adjoining areas due to stubble burning.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">In this direction, the Union government has already released over 600 crore rupees during the current year so far. Also, out of the total amount given in the last four years, about 900 crore rupees is available with the states.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">The need for effective utilization of funds provided by the Union government to the states for stubble management was emphasized in the meeting.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">During the meeting, the states have been advised to make a strategic plan by deploying all the necessary resources to deal with the situation. Considering the benefits of bio decomposer, states have also been suggested to demonstrate this technology in farmers' fields on a large scale.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">During the current year, a target has been set to bring more than over 8 lakh hectares of land in the states under the ambit of this technology.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Senior officials of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi state government and top officials of all the three concerned central Ministries participated in the meeting.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Central Pollution Control Board, Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, Ministry of Power and senior officials of other central ministries and departments also participated.</span></p>