Kathua: District Development Commissioner Kathua, Rahul Yadav today kick-started the wheat harvesting across the fence on the zero line of International Border in Hiranagar.
Pertinently, the District Administration Kathua in collaboration with Border Security Force and Agriculture Department had taken in hand the task to facilitate cultivation of land of border residents after a lull of 18 years.
Throwing light on the maiden initiative of its kind, the DDC said the challenging task of reclaiming Sarkanda affected border land across the fence on zero line at Maniari, Paharpur, Sat Paul post, Bobiya and Pansar was aimed at to provide viable atmosphere for cultivation to the farmers who left cultivation of their land due to multiple reasons. The area was cleared of bushes, wild growth by BSF & around 90 acres was put under cultivation, added the DDC.
The DDC said 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 cultivation on the border due to security concerns, the administration took on the challenge of cultivating land up to zero line, where BSF, Revenue and Agriculture Department played a crucial role, ” he added.
A series of meetings with farmers and administration were being held to motivate the farmers to take up cultivation in their abandoned lands.
The BSF was ready to provide security and to facilitate farmers in every way, whereas, the Revenue Department has geared up to demarcate land on request of owners and the Agriculture Department is there to help farmers in every conceivable way.
On the scope of viable projects to promote profitable farming on the border areas, District Development Commissioner Kathua asked the 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 were among those who accompanied DDC on the zero line of the International border.
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