Not convinced with Punjab's reply on the issue of subsidy on agriculture machinery,the Election Commission has asked the state to explain the criteria for allowing it. After the commission banned the subsidy till the code of conduct was in place,the Punjab government had pleaded its case on the ground that equipment,such as paddy transplanters and laser levelers,will have to be arranged in the crucial months of March to May to ensure smooth paddy transplantation by June. However,after scrutiny of the list of items on which subsidy is being provided,the commission has asked Punjab to explain the criteria. Chief Electoral Officer,Punjab,Kusumjit Sidhu said,Only after the commission is satisfied with the criteria will the subsidy be allowed. Meanwhile,Punjab failed to file a reply to the EC today owing to the absence of the highest officer in the Agriculture Department the Financial Commissioner (Development). Sudhir Mittal,who took the charge of the department after he was transferred from the post of the Home Secretary on the direction of the Election Commission,has gone on leave after joining the department and the government is yet to hand over the additional charge of the FCD to another officer. Interestingly,N S Kang,who took over as the new Home Secretary in place of Mittal and preceded him as FCD,is likely to be given the additional charge. The EC ban will,however,not affect the ongoing subsidy being provided by the Horticulture Department on fungicide sprays used on citrus plantations. The Horticulture Department today cleared that most of its seasonal plantations have been done and new plantations would take place only in July-August. The department does not buy sprays for farmers,but only gives 50 per cent subsidy on sprays for fungal disease,phytophthora,to the already-enlisted farmers. Since it is an ongoing activity and most farmers have already claimed the subsidy,we will not be under the purview of the ban, Horticulture Director Baldev Singh said.q
