Amritsar, September 28
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today urged union home minister Shivraj Patil to visit the villages situated near the Indo-Pak border and have first-hand information about the plight of farmers having their land across the fence.
Taking up the cause of the border farmers with Patil, who was in the city to participate in the birth centenary celebrations of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Badal said these farmers were not able to cultivate their lands for more than two hours due to the restrictions imposed by the BSF. He said this had forced them to migrate to other parts of the country.
The Chief Minister urged Patil to either acquire their land and provide them alternative sites or pay them adequate compensation.
He urged Patil to initiate steps to check intrusion of animals from across the border. He urged the minister to instruct the BSF authorities to open all gates so that the farmers do not have to travel long distances to reach their farms.
