E-Paper
Extended BSF jurisdiction will create fear psychosis in state: Rana Gurjeet
Rana Gurjeet said the decision to increase the jurisdiction of the BSF has created fear psychosis among residents and a sense of insecurity in investors
Technical education and horticulture minister Rana Gurjeet Singh on Tuesday said the extension of BSF jurisdiction from 15km to 50km from the International Border is yet another jolt to Punjab. He said if the Centre remains adamant to implement the decision despite state’s protest, it should compensate the border state with a special economic package.
Addressing a press conference, Rana Gurjeet said the decision to increase the jurisdiction of the BSF has created fear psychosis among residents and a sense of insecurity in investors.
“How will an investor go to the 25,000 sq km border belt (out of a total of 50,000), which is under the jurisdiction of the BSF?” he questioned.
Rana said if the Centre was adamant in implementing the decision, it should make the agriculture sector sustainable in the border belt with liberal incentives.
The Centre should come forward with liberalised and incentivised schemes. He suggested that 90% subsidies should be given to the farmers of the border area under the central schemes for drip irrigation system.
“There is a dire need to reconsider the jurisdiction issue in concurrence with the state and grant special incentives on a par with north-eastern states,” he said, adding that the first step in this direction should be to constitute a Western Border States Advisory Council having chief ministers/governor of the states as members under the chairmanship of Union home minister on the pattern of North East Council to deliberate the issue of creating of a dedicated corpus fund pooled through a mandatory contribution from all the Union ministries in the Union budget.
The minister said he would request chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi to convene a one-day session of the Vidhan Sabha to pass a resolution and to take up the matter with the Union government to reconsider the BSF jurisdiction decision and lead a delegation of all the stakeholders for a meeting with the Prime Minister.
