CHANDIGARH: The center government has moved to shift border fencing closer to the international boundary, a decision set to bring major relief to farmers long forced to cultivate under tight BSF restrictions.
With surveys now ordered across border districts, the move will bring lakhs of acres back within the fenced area, allowing farmers greater access, crop choice, and freedom from limited farming hours and repeated security checks.
An official spokesman of Punjab government said “With the Union Home Minister, we have raised this issue many times that for farmers living along the border, the fencing along the international border with Pakistan is placed three to four kilometres inside on the Indian side. As a result, their fields are left beyond the fence.”
Explaining the challenges faced by farmers, the spokesman said, “Farmers are allowed to go beyond the fence for cultivation only at fixed hours decided by the BSF. They cannot go before 9 am, they are frisked, and they are accompanied by security forces. This is to ensure that no smuggled goods or weapons are brought back. After 4 pm, they cannot stay in the fields, and they are again searched while returning. A significant amount of time of the security forces is also spent in checking our own citizens.”
“Now letters have been issued to Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of border districts including Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Fazilka, and Ferozepur to conduct surveys and assess how close the fencing can be moved to the international border as per rules. The SDMs have been asked to do surveys so that 300 metres of area can be well demarcated for the implementation of this decision well in time, ” he added.