Chandigarh, Jan. 29 -- At least one-fourth of the crop residue management (CRM) machines supplied to Punjab farmers since 2018 have been declared non-functional, official data has revealed, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the multi-crore subsidy programme aimed at curbing stubble burning.

Since the launch of the centrally sponsored in-situ crop residue management scheme over six years ago, 1.58 lakh subsidised machines have been distributed to farmers, of which nearly 40,000 are no longer in use.

The information has been disclosed by the Punjab government in an action plan submitted to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on January 28.

CRM machines - such as Happy Seeders, Super Seeders and balers - are tractor-...