Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced significant relief for farmers living along the state’s border belt, stating that the Central government has agreed in principle to shift the Border Security Force (BSF) closer to the International Border with Pakistan.
The move will likely enable the cultivation of thousands of acres of farmland presently lying beyond the border fencing.
Mann made the announcement after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying farmers have faced hardship for years as they must cross the fence with identity cards and under BSF escort to reach their fields.
This situation prevails along the 532-km India–Pakistan border, where fencing runs deep inside Punjab’s territory.
According to the Chief Minister, the Home Minister told him during the meeting that the Centre is actively considering shifting the fencing towards the border to bring Punjab’s land back on the accessible side without compromising national security.
Long-Pending Issues Raised
Alongside the border fencing issue, Mann raised several long-pending concerns of the state, including objections to the proposed Seeds Bill 2025, the unresolved Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute, slow movement of foodgrains by the Food Corporation of India, freezing of Arthiya Commission, non-payment of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Mandi Fund, and what he described as the dilution of Punjab’s role in the administration of Chandigarh.
Raising serious objections to the proposed Seeds Bill 2025, the Chief Minister said, “Punjab is an agrarian state, and one of the largest grain-producing states of the country, yet the draft Seed Bill does not assure representation of the state as per schedule under the relevant section. The zone-based system introduced in the Bill does not guarantee Punjab’s representation in the Central Seed Committee, unlike the existing system, thereby limiting the state’s voice in decisions that directly affect the seed sector.”
He further added, “The proposed Bill also curtails the existing powers of the State Seed Committee, as there is no role envisaged for the state-level committee in seed registration, and the draft is silent on a robust compensation framework for farmers who suffer losses when registered seed fails to perform as claimed.”
Mann warned that seed varieties tested overseas are entering Punjab and other states without mandatory multi-location testing suited to local agro-climatic conditions, putting farmers at risk.
Stand on SYL Canal and Water Sharing
Reiterating Punjab’s long-standing position on river water sharing, the Chief Minister said, “Punjab has no surplus water to share with any other state. There has been a substantial reduction in the availability of Sutlej, Ravi and Beas waters, and therefore, construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal is not viable.”
He said Punjab received only 14.22 MAF, around 40 per cent, of the 34.34 mean annual flow from these rivers, while Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan took the remaining 60 per cent, despite the rivers not flowing through those states.
“This is a gross injustice with Punjab, and there is absolutely no question of constructing this canal as it is totally against the interests of the state and its people,” Mann asserted, adding that Punjab’s stand before the Supreme Court remains firm that there is no water to spare.
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