Recalling the “great service” rendered to the country by the residents of the border areas in Punjab, the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday urged the Centre to launch a special recruitment drive to enable the youth of these areas to join the Army and para-military forces.
Badal, stating this on the sidelines of his visit to the border areas of Amritsar district accompanied by state Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, said that the youth of the region was blessed with an indomitable spirit of courage and self-sacrifice. Hence, efforts must be made to channelise it.
He said that the “brave patriots” of the border region have always fought against all odds to safeguard the unity and integrity of the country, adding that it was high time the country recognised their contribution.
The Chief Minister said that he would soon raise the issue with the Centre and seek a resolution in this regard.
Badal said that his government would approach the Defence Ministry to impress upon them the need for widening of the bridges on the defence drains in the region. He said that it was the “need of the hour” to avoid any untoward incident.
The Chief Minister reiterated that despite the ongoing tension at the Indo-Pak border, the farmers of the region would be allowed to harvest their produces “at every cost”.
He said that he had spoken to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard, who immediately directed the Border Security Force (BSF) to allow the farmers of the border region to harvest their crop.
likewise, he said that the Centre had also allowed those, who had their land across the fence, to reap and lift the crop.
To another query, Badal said that his Government would soon release the pending compensation of the farmers who had land across the border fence.
He claimed that his government had always extended a helping hand to the farmers of the border region and added that it was “duty-bound” to bail them out of the current crisis as well.
Badal, on another query, said that the people within 10 kilometres radius of border were evacuated following the Centre’s advisory for preventing any loss of life to people. He said that the state government had made elaborate arrangements for facilitating the people in relief camps.
“Keeping in view the escalating tension at the border, the state government is duty-bound to lift each and every single grain of the farmers. I have already directed the Food and Civil Supply department to make special arrangements for ensuring quick procurement and lifting of grains from this region,” he added.