Chandigarh, May 13 -- Punjab's long-standing obsession with tractors has shifted into top gear, with an unprecedented 34,000 applications pouring in for subsidised tractors under the crop residue management (CRM) scheme - a staggering jump from just 2,000 applications last year.

The surge has reignited concerns over "over-tractorisation" in the state's agriculture sector, even as officials defend the move as essential for tackling stubble burning and promoting rural entrepreneurship.

According to officials in the state agriculture department, the applications were received from individual farmers, village-level cooperative societies and custom hiring centres seeking machinery for managing paddy residue during the upcoming kharif (paddy)...