Chandigarh, Sep 30 (Reporter) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday batted for a sustained campaign to make the farmers aware about the paddy straw management to further reduce the incidents of paddy straw burning in the state. Chairing a meeting for preparations regarding crop residue management, Mann said that the farmers must be made aware of the hazards of Paddy straw burning through Communication campaign, adding that they must be made aware about the provisions of subsidy on straw management equipment. He further said that farmers must also be informed about reduction in cost of managing straw through Custom Hiiring Centres. He also advocated the establishment of Customs Hiring Centres (CHC) at Panchayats and other common places. He also directed the Deputy Commissioners to launch a vigorous campaign to make the farmers aware of the hazards of paddy straw burning. He said that it will help in transforming the war against paddy straw burning into a mass movement. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that under the crop residue management scheme 2024-25, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Punjab, had already called for applications from interested farmers in availing subsidy under the scheme through the agrimachinerypb.com portal. Mann said that a total of 63,904 applications for machinery were received up to June 20. He said that as per the demand of the districts, the portal was opened again from September 13 to 19, and 1.07 lakh cumulative applications have been received till September 19. He said that the state government has set atarget of distributing 14000 machines to individual farmers and establishment of 1100 Custom Hiring Centers in the districts...////...