Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday urged the Central Government to exempt 10 agricultural implements used in crop residue management (CRM) from Goods and Services Tax (GST) to aid farmers in tackling stubble burning.
In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Saini highlighted Haryana’s crucial role in India's food production. He pointed out that stubble burning remains a major environmental concern, impacting public health and air quality with the issue being closely monitored by the Supreme Court and the Air Quality Commission.
He said that Haryana’s farmers are adopting advanced technologies for CRM, supported by subsidies from both the Centre and State Government. In 2024, stubble burning incidents in Haryana declined by 39 percent compared to 2023. To further curb this issue, the Haryana Government has devised an action plan for 2025, allocating Rs 200 crore in subsidies for CRM machinery. The total cost of these machines is estimated at Rs 500 crore, with farmers currently burdened by 12 percent GST, adding an extra Rs 60 crore to their expenses.
Saini has requested the Ministry of Finance to exempt GST on key CRM implements, including rotavators, disc harrows, cultivators, zero drills, super seeders, straw balers, hay rakes, slashers, reaper binders, and tractor-mounted spray pumps. He stressed that removing GST would incentivize farmers to adopt these machines, significantly reducing air pollution caused by stubble burning.
