After Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reprimanded officials of 10 districts for their failure to check stubble burning that was causing air pollution, the Pilibhit district authorities tightened the noose around farmers by sending 20 to jail and taking action against 17 lekhpals, suspending eight of them.
Taking stern action against the stubble burners, Pilibhit District Magistrate Vaibhav Srivastava, on Tuesday sent 15 farmers of Puranpur police station area and five of Madhotanda police station area to jail, confirmed a district official here on Wednesday.
Though the farmers alleged that they were not burning stubble and the district authorities, in order to cover up their lapses, had sent them to jail, the district magistrate said that none would be spared for violating the norms.
The district magistrate has suspended eight lekhpals, ordered departmental inquiry against five lekhpals and served showcause notices on four lekhpals. Besides, a police sub-inspector and two police constables have been sent to the police lines and the district magistrate himself is visiting the stubble burning-prone areas and asking the farmers not to burn their agriculture waste.
Already, FIRs have been registered against 850 farmers in Pilibhit and a fine of Rs 15 lakh has been imposed on them. The district authorities have already collected Rs 6 lakh of this fine so far.
Meanwhile, another report from Ballia quoting Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Ashwini Srivastava said that FIR had been registered against seven farmers and a fine of Rs 26,000 slapped on them for burning stubble.