Pardeep Sharma
KATHUA, Apr 29: District Development Commissioner (DDC), Kathua, Rahul Yadav kick started the start of wheat harvesting across the fence on Zero Line in Kathua district today.
After a lapse of 18 years district administration Kathua in collaboration with Border Security Force (BSF) and Agriculture Department undertook a challenging task of reclaiming Sarkanda affected border land across the fence on Zero Line at Maniary Paharpur, Sat Paul Post, Bobiya and Pansar. The area was cleared of bushes, wild growth by BSF and around 90 acres was put under cultivation.
The apparent move was to allay fears of farmers who own land in these border villages to take up cultivation up to Zero Line. Since the farmers were reluctant to take up the cultivation on the border due to security concerns, the administration took the challenge of cultivating land up to zero line to demonstrate by doing, where BSF, Revenue and Agriculture Department played a crucial role.
A series of meetings with farmers and administration are being held to motivate the farmers to take up cultivation in their abandoned lands. BSF is ready to provide security and to facilitate farmers in every way, whereas, Revenue Department has geared up to demarcate land on request of owners and Agriculture Department is there to help farmers in every conceivable way.
Government is ready to come up with viable projects to promote profitable farming on the border. In this context, District Development Commissioner, Kathua , Rahul Yadav asked Chief Agriculture Officer to come up with plans for Monsoon cultivation like cultivation of pulses and introduction of Lemon grass in collaboration with IIIM.
Commanding Officer, BSF, Satender Giri, Chief Agriculture Officer Kathua, Vijay Upadhaya, SDM Hiranagar, Rakesh Kumar Sharma, District Agriculture Officer (Ext.), Raju Mahajan, SDAO Hiranagar, Pradeep Sharma and others accompanied DDC on the zero line of border.
The crop of peace and prosperity on Zero Line of Hiranagar sector get good results as Wheat crop sown away few months earlier is now ready to harvest. The Deputy Commissioner, Kathua Rahul Yadav accompanied by BSF Commandant Satyendra Giri Kick started the harvesting of wheat crop on Zero Line with the help Harvestor combine machine. A harvester combine machine under the tight security cover put into job to harvest the 79 Acres of Wheat crop in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district . The successful cultivation of crops on Zero Line of Indo Pak border brought cheers on the faces of the District administration and farmers of border areas as the land was lying non cultivated since last 20 years due to Pakistan firing on border areas.,
The Zero Line cultivation on International Indo Pak Border area in Hiranagar sector was started after the direction of LG of J&K Manoj Sinha said Deputy Commissioner, Kathua Rahul Yadav. He said that the district administration put into force latest machinery to root out the bushes, unwanted roots of tree in the fields with the help of Agricultuire Department and BSF official.
The Deputy Commissioner, Kathua said in first phase 79 acres of land was cultivated and sowing of wheat crop was started from 10th November. He said that the Zero Line cultivation will help the farmer to get their cultivation process revive after long time, BSF jawan get easy assess to guard the border and there should be check on insurgency sponsored by Pakistan.
He said the ceasefire announced by both the countries also helped the farmers to cultivated their yield on Forward Line.
The BSF Commanding, Officer Satyendra Giri said that our duty to provide the safety and security to farmers who want to cultivate their fields. If the Pakistan farmers are cultivating the field upto Zero Line, why not our farmers will do so, he added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
