E-Paper
Renewed Indo-Pak truce raises Jammu farmers’ hopes for bumper wheat harvest
Over the years, large tracts of land between the zero line and border fence could not be cultivated to their full potential as India has had to put up anti-infiltration obstacle systems
With India and Pakistan renewing the ceasefire pact, farmers with landholdings along the 200-km international border have reason to anticipate a bumper wheat crop this season.
Over the years, large tracts of land between the zero line and border fence could not be cultivated to their full potential as India has had to put up anti-infiltration obstacle systems, comprising barbed fence, within its territory to check Pakistani infiltrators, including armed terrorists.
A farmer, Amarjeet Singh of Mangral village, says, “The peace pact has given us reason to rejoice as we can now cultivate land beyond the fence. The Border Security Force (BSF) been allowing us to till our land beyond the fence with the help of bulletproof tractors.”
“The BSF has granted us access to our fields through gates. Even women are allowed to go to the fields. The land had been lying unused for years together,” said Mukesh Kumar, another farmer.
BSF, Jammu frontier, inspector general NS Jamwal said, “We encourage farmers to cultivate their farm lands beyond border the fence and till zero line. Initially, we selected farm land in RS Pura sector of Jammu district and in Kathua district. We were successful in both places and are therefore, hoping to extend it to other sectors.”
“We are getting support from the civil administration and farmers as well. The BSF director general wants that our land should be cultivated to the fullest,” he said, adding that the BSF also provides bullet proof tractors wherever needed and security is also provided to workers.
“Wherever they (farmers) feel scared or uncomfortable we provide them with security. We have women constables as well on the IB,” said the IG.
Notably, the BSF and the civil administration had taken a joint initiative to use the ‘fenced out’ land for farming as the wild grass and bushes that came up on the farm fields over the years has helped Pakistan push infiltrators and dig trans-border tunnels. India and Pakistan on February 24 and 25 mutually agreed on a ceasefire agreement.
The director generals of military operations of India and Pakistan reviewed the situation along the Line of Control (Loc) and all other sectors and agreed upon achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders since then not a single shot has been fired along the IB and 744-km LoC thereby bringing relief to the hapless villagers on either side of the border.
