(MOREPIC1) Face2News/Abohar
While appreciating the initiatives taken by Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit to pay special intention to improve the situation in border areas, Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar today said at a meeting held on the arrival of Governor at the district headquarters Fazilka that farmers settled near the Indo-Pak border were known as the first line of defence. There has been no let-up in the mischievous efforts being made by the neighbouring country to smuggle drugs in this district for a long time, which were being thwarted by the BSF and police administration.
He said that the way the pilot project to advance the fencing line near the Indo-Pak border has been started in Pathankot area with the consent of the central and the state government, similar projects should be implemented in Fazilka, so that the framers of the border area can benefit. With the shifting of the fencing line, farmers in this district will get a lot of relief. They will be able to utilise the fertile land that was either lying vacant or only limited farming was allowed to them.(SUBHEAD)
Jakhar said that the Civil Defence Committees (CDC) formed under the instructions by the Governor in 106 villages of the district for drug prevention was a good step. The district police had made big seizures in the past but the CDCs will further help in breaking the drug cycle. He requested the Governor to recommend incentives and special subsidies to the traders in the agriculture sector in the border area so that the agro-industries could be promoted in the border area as well.
The Governor called upon all Punjabis to unite to uphold the glory and honour of Punjab. He appealed to the sarpanches to be more vigilant and said that the identity of the informer of drug trafficking activity will be kept secret.
He advised the farmers to grow millets and said that farmers can increase their income by cultivating low water crops, adopting drip irrigation systems and farming with new farming techniques.
The governor said that he has written to the central government that the participation of the youth of Punjab should be increased in the Agniveer scheme. He also said that he has also sent recommendations to the central government for the economic development of the border areas.
