ABHISHEK BADYAL
SAMBA : Deputy Commissioner Samba Anuradha Gupta has been on the forefront so far as devel- opment in the district border- ing Pakistan is concerned. Be it the vaccination campaign during the testing Covid times or the farming on the border line, she has displayed her astute administrative acu-
men by keeping the men and machinery in the administra- tion ever ready.Moving ahead in a mission mode with relentless efforts of the District Administration led by her and augmented by the Border Security Force, the farmers of village Chhabal Chaleria, Tehsil Rajpura, Regal it was a dream come true for the farmers of this border area who started farming again in their fields along the International Border after a long period of 24 years.The farmers along with the officials of Agriculture Department today reached at the International Boarder and got emotional after landing in their fields after a gap of 24 long years. The emotions were so high that tears started rolling down the eyes of the farmers. Stepping into their fields they bowed down and applied the soil on their forehead and it seemed that the farmers had found some lost treasure.
It is to mention here that the land is ahead of the barricades erected by the security forces and was not cultivated for the last 24 years due to unprovoked heavy shelling from across the border.
For the first time, wheat seeds and fertilizers have been made available to the farmers by the Agriculture Department on 50 percent of the subsidy and in the first phase, with the help of the Agriculture Department the farmers will sow wheat crop on the 75 acres of land.
The emotional farmers started ploughing the fields and kept on working from morning till evening without taking any food.
Expressing gratitude to the district administration and BSF for starting farming ahead of the barricades, the farmers said that by starting farming here, the border farmers will be great- ly benefited and their economic situation will also improve.
After 24 years, the farmers are very happy after getting a chance to work in the fields in front of the barricades.
It is worth mentioning here that due to the unprovoked shelling on the International Border by Pakistani forces, many people living on the border have lost their lives and many have became handicapped.
After 1998, the land which was in front of the barricades could not be cultivated for the last 24 years because whenev- er the farmers went to cultivate their lands, Pakistani forces started unprovoked shelling on them. Due to which the farm- ers were not abled to cultivate their land and were forced face many hardships as most of the families were dependent on farming.
Extending their gratitude to Deputy Commissioner Samba, Anuradha Gupta, Agriculture Department and BSF for mak- ing it possible to cultivate the land after 24 years, farmer Harbansh Singh, Jankar Singh Chaudhary said it is a good beginning and in future too, if the cooperation of the adminis- tration continues like this, then all the farmers will definitely work in their fields.
On this occasion, Chief Agriculture Officer, Samba Sanjay Verma assured the farmers present on the occasion of regular and timely technical guidance and cooperation from the Agriculture Department and appreciated the efforts of the farmers and the field officials.
