AIKSCC slams Centre's new law through ordinance to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR
Chandigarh: The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) on Friday slammed the Centre for introducing a new law through an ordinance in the wake of rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR, saying it is another "undemocratic and anti-farmer" ordinance.
The AIKSCC demanded that the Centre should withdraw the "hastily promulgated ordinance" and hold extensive consultations with farmer organisations and state governments so that a better, more participatory and effective framework is put in place to address the issue of air pollution.
"It is another undemocratic and anti-farmer ordinance. The Centre overrides states again and gets the power to punish farmers," a AIKSCC statement issued by its central working group member, Darshan Pal, said.
The AIKSCC had earlier demanded rollback of the Centre's new farm laws, which it has dubbed as "anti-farmers".
Faced with rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Centre has introduced a new law through an ordinance that puts in place a powerful oversight body and provides for up to five years of jail term and Rs 1 crore fine for violators with immediate effect.
Under the ordinance released by the Ministry of Law and Justice on Thursday, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has been dissolved and replaced by a commission comprising over 20 members.
"The ordinance may be called the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020. It shall apply to the National Capital Region and also adjoining areas in so far as it relates to matters concerning air pollution in the NCR. It shall come into force at once," it said.
The AIKSCC, which claims to be an umbrella body of over 200 organisations of farmers and agricultural workers, also alleged that "this ordinance is a means for the central government to absolve itself of responsibility because the commission is empowered to direct the actions of state governments but cannot compel the Centre to provide resources to implement the solutions".
"The Centre did not want a Supreme Court-appointed committee which would have made the Centre answerable too," the statement said.
"The ordinance establishes the commission as a supra-authority whose orders prevail over the democratically-elected state governments of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and the central and state pollution control boards...," it said.
The AIKSCC sees this ordinance in the context of the inordinate focus on the paddy stubble burning as the source of Delhi's air pollution and the farmers being branded as the culprits, it said.
"This ordinance further reinforces the fears of the farmers that the central government is more interested in adopting coercive measures instead of finding real solutions.
"Despite the court directions to provide alternatives to farmers to manage the paddy straw, the Centre has not provided the necessary financial support to make it happen," he said.
As per the ordinance, which was signed by the president on Wednesday, the areas where it shall be in force include Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, adjoining areas of the NCR and Delhi where any source of pollution is located which is causing an adverse impact on air quality in the National Capital Region.
The AIKSCC statement further said, "In the past couple of years, thousands of cases have been registered against farmers for stubble burning, resulting in a lot of harassment instead of providing them support to address the real issues.
"The fact is that government policies and laws have pushed the farmers of Punjab and Haryana into this cycle of paddy and wheat with barely three weeks in between, leaving farmers with little practical choice except burning the stubble," it said.
The AIKSCC stated that while the air pollution of Delhi is a serious problem that needs to be addressed, there is disproportional focus on the stubble burning issue.
"There are other, larger sources of pollution that need to be tackled instead of targeting the farmers...," it said.
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
