Abandoned buildings at agricultural focal points in Amritsar turn safe haven for addicts

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, November 13

Amid dwindling farm incomes and a cry for crop diversification, the revival of agricultural focal points, set up in various parts of the district during late 1970s, can help in creating machine banks, ensure marketing of agricultural produce and provide allied services as a veterinary could help farmers, feel most of the land owners.

Over the five decades, the abandoned and ramshackled buildings constructed over large chunks of land have become safe havens for drug addicts and other anti-social elements.

In the absence of any upkeep, roofs of most of these centres are falling. At places, veterinary centres set up nearby are covered with elephant grass. A perfect example of the government apathy is two residential blocks with each having several quarters for the staff built at Meerakot village near Gumtala.

Apart from stealing doors and windows, drug addicts have even broken cemented walls to dig out iron pipes. At the main shed, just a few metres away from these residential quarters, scattered pieces of silver foil (used to melt heroin and smack) and empty covers of syringes points towards frequent visits of drug users.

Similar is the case with many other farm centres in the rural belt. Many of these buildings have been illegally occupied and used as shelter for animals. A part of the agricultural focal point at Dhand village in Tarn Taran district is being used for residential purposes.

Veteran farmer leader Rattan Singh Randhawa said, “These focal points were a failure from the very beginning as these were ill-conceived and no planning was done to make these successful.”

He added that the proposed facilities at these focal points included shops, veterinary hospitals, marketing and agro service centres for the distribution of seeds and pesticides.

With the small and medium farmers already facing difficulty in purchasing costly machines, especially the ones required for management of crop residue, they said creation of machinery banks at these centres could be of help.

“Apart from creating farm banks to save small farmers from debt-trap created by the necessity to purchase costly machinery, these centres can also be developed to ensure better and easy marketing of perishable goods,” said Lakhbir Singh Nizampura, president, Vegetable Growers’ Association. He added that huge amounts were spent on constructing these centres.

In most villages, these centres were constructed on huge chunks of panchayati land. Farmers said in a few cases, panchayats had taken back their land as these centres were lying abandoned.

The old-timers recall that though these agriculture focal points were a dream project of then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The project was shelved with change of the government in the state. Though Badal during his subsequent terms as chief minister made announcements regarding revival of these centres, nothing materialised on the ground level.

Not in knowledge: DC

Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh Sudan said the issue concerning focal points was not in his knowledge. Sudan, however, said he would ask officials concerned to ensure that addicts did not consume drugs at these places. The administration wanted addicts to shun drugs, he said.