Chandigarh, Jan. 30 -- 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-mounted implements used to manage paddy straw without burning, helping reduce air pollution and improve soil health. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is a major contributor to severe air pollution in the National Capital Region during October and November, when farmers burn residue to quickly prepare fields for the wheat crop due to a narrow sowing window. Punjab agriculture director Jaswant Singh said the average lifespan of these machines is about five years and rapid technological upgrades have also rendered many older models obsolete. "The Happy Seeder, which was widely used in 2018 and 2019, was replaced by the Smart Seeder, and now the Super Seeder is in use," he said. In 2022, around 11,000 machines were found missing out of nearly 90,000 distributed to farmers, with the estimated loss pegged at Rs.140 crore. The state agriculture department had ordered a vigilance bureau inquiry following investigations by the Enforcement Directorate. However, the probe did not yield concrete results, as farmers admitted during physical verification that the machines had either been sold or shifted elsewhere. Despite a subsidy outlay of Rs.2,229 crore since 2018, Punjab has struggled to eliminate farm fires as mandated by the CAQM. While stubble fire incidents during the 2025 kharif season declined to 5,114 - almost half of the 10,909 cases reported in 2024 - the numbers remain significant. In earlier years, 36,663 cases were reported in 2023 and 49,922 in 2022. For the upcoming kharif season, the state's department of science and technology has proposed an action plan of Rs.500 crore for managing paddy stubble during October-November. Under the plan, 15,000 machines and agricultural implements will be provided to farmers. Chief secretary KAP Sinha is scheduled to review the plan, and the state government may seek additional funds. "The focus in the upcoming kharif harvest will be on eight hotspot districts, particularly villages that continue to burn paddy stubble," Jaswant Singh said. The identified hotspot districts include Tarn Taran (696 stubble fires cases), Sangrur (695), Ferozepur (548), Muktsar (376), Bathinda (369), Moga (332), Mansa (306) and Faridkot (132). Between 2018 and 2025, Punjab spent between Rs.175 crore and Rs.375 crore annually on crop residue management. Funding was entirely borne by the Centre until 2022, after which it shifted to a 60:40 Centre-state sharing pattern. Every year, paddy is cultivated over nearly 30 lakh hectares in Punjab, generating around 190 lakh tonnes of straw. Burning of this residue during the onset of winter leads to dense smog over northern India, posing serious health and environmental risks....