Sowing of tall farm crops banned near IB

GS PAUL

Amritsar, March 24

In attempt to curb the cross border smuggling of drugs, arms and intruding attempts from across the border, the District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar Ghanshyam Thori has imposed a ban on sowing of tall farm crops near the India-Pakistan border.

In the backdrop, the Border Security Force (BSF) had objected to the plantation of poplar, eucalyptus, sugar and other high crops of height 3 to 4 feet, besides high rise construction near the border belt in Ajnala sector. Commandant of BSF’s 73 Battalion Anjala had asked Amritsar DC to take necessary action.

A BSF official said that there is every possibility of infiltrators crossing the Indo-Pak border, smugglers’ movement in the shadow of these tall farm crops. “Hence, there is apprehension of breach of security, so immediate prevention and speedy remedy was desired,” he said.

Immediately, exercising his power under Section 44 of the CrPC 1973, the DC has issued orders not to cultivate tall farm crops between the International Border and border security fence.

“The sowing of tall farm crops or any high rise construction within 1 km of area around the border fence line on the Indian territory which could obstruct the view has been prohibited,” said the DC. This order will remain in force till June 30, 2024.

BSF and Punjab Police have constantly been carrying out special search operations jointly to curb the sneaking of arms, drugs and other prohibited areas from across the border in districts of Amritsar, Fazilka and Tarn Taran.

Though there was no antidote of a drone being used to smuggle drugs, weapons and other forbidden materials from across the border, the Punjab Police has devised the ‘Drone Emergency Response System’ in the border belt.

BSF has roped in the local border belt villagers in its mission and has constituted the Village Defence Committees (VDCs) deputed in the 15 km rural belt in Amritsar bordering Pakistan to assist the BSF, Punjab Police, Intelligence and other agencies. At least 272 villages falling under this border belt of Ajnala, Lopoke and Amritsar II sub-divisions have the VDCs.

As a backup, all the border villages on zero line are being enlisted, district-wise. In the Border Range, Amritsar, there are 106 villages within 2 km of the zero line, 148 villages within 2 to 5 km of the zero line and 188 villages within 5 to 10 km of the zero line.

Seizures in current month

• March 23: BSF and Punjab police seized two drones from Neshta and Atalgarh border villages in Amritsar
• March 23: During an operation, the BSF recovered a drone along with two packets of suspected heroin (gross weight- approximately 2 kg) from the vicinity of Nanak Nagri village in Fazilka district
• March 20: Another person apprehended near border from fields in Dal village in Tarn Taran, One Chinese mobile phone without SIM and one packet of heroin (gross weight- 533 gm) recovered
• March 18: BSF troops observed a suspicious black-colored bag having six white packets containing heroin (gross weight approximately 3.306 kilograms), near the Dargah of Bodal Saha Peer Baba, situated near Mehandipur village, Tarn Taran district
• March 18: BSF intercepted a flying object, recovered a packet of heroin, weighing approximately 610 grams, from a field adjacent to Naushera Dhalla village