Amid security, harvesting begins along Pakistan border in Jammu

Golpattan (Jammu), April 15

Amid peace prevailing along the Indo-Pakistan border due to the year-long ceasefire, wheat harvesting on the zero line along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gajansoo belt began on Saturday. Located on zero line, Agriculture Department’s Seed Multiplication Farm, spread on nearly 2,300 acres of land on two sides of the border fencing in the Golpattan-Chinore belt, nearly 55 km from Jammu, saw men and machines getting into action since morning to harvest wheat crop.

The ceasefire along the border between India and Pakistan is prevailing for the past one year. This has rekindled hopes for a peaceful future among border residents, who have been living under constant fear of cross-border shelling, in J&K. The ceasefire was announced by the two armies through a joint statement issued on February 25 last year. “We have started harvesting the wheat crop on this farm. Our crops are ripe. We will take few days to complete harvesting,” said Kuldeep Raj, manager of the Seed Multiplication Farm, Chinore. He said harvesting had been taking place on 2,290 acres on two sides of border fencing.

“After completion of the harvesting on this side, we will undertake harvesting across the fencing on an area of 280 acres of land with the support of the BSF,” he said. BSF troops, who are guarding the border, allow farmers and agriculture employees to cultivate and harvest their lands across the border fencing. “BSF troops go with us during harvesting work. They protect and support us,” he said.

The administration’s Seed Multiplication Farm is one of the biggest farms in the Jammu region to produce high-yield seeds for distribution to farmers under the Holistic Agriculture Development Plan. “We are doing cropping activity under the eyes of Pakistan Rangers. There is also a constant fear among us. We don’t have bullet-proof jackets and helmets like BSF troops. So government should grant us risk allowances,” an official said.

“The department is working on a war footing on 29 projects under the Holistic Agriculture Development Plan,” Additional Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo said. He said the HADP was set to be a turning point in the agri-economy of the UT whereby Rs 5,013 crore would be infused over the next five years through 29 interventions and projects. “Besides, the 29 interventions are set to create around 19,000 new enterprises and an additional 2.8 lakh jobs. This will increase the GDP of the UT,” he added. — PTI

2.8 lakh jobs to be created in agriculture sector

• Additional Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo says the HADP was set to be a turning point in the agri-economy of the UT whereby Rs 5,013 crore would be infused over the next five years
• The investment will be in 29 projects, whcih will create 19,000 new enterprises and create an additional 2.8 lakh jobs. It will increase UT’s GDP significantly in next five years, he adds