Derabassi Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kuldeep Bawa said that the total land under the wheat crop is around 250 acre. (Representational Photo)
The harvesting season is not the normal this time for the farmers, at least for the farmers from Jawaharpur village, this year the harvesting had become a daunting task. The harvesting is being carried\ out under the close watch of the district administration. A doctor was also deputed in the village permanently and a separate space was earmarked for the farmers to bring their crop.
The farmers also had a tough time after the drivers who were arranged by the administration were reluctant to operate the harvesters as the village in among the COVID-19 hot-spot in Punjab.
After deliberations with the villagers, the administration allowed three persons from the village who owned harvesters to carry out the work under the strict watch of the civil and police authorities. One harvester is arranged from outside with six tractor trailers. The administration also earmarked separate space for the village farmers for wheat procurement so that the villagers could not come in contact of the outsiders.
A farmer who refused to be named said that some drivers who were called in to operate the harvesters refused to operate harvesters when they came to know about Jawaharpur. He added that now the harvesting was started after three persons from the village were also allowed to carry out the work.
Gurwinder Singh Tony, the panch of Jawaharpur village told The Indian Express that earlier this week, the district administration decided bring in four harvesters from outside for carrying out wheat harvesting but nobody came forward. He added that three farmers of Jawaharpur village own harvesters and they had requested the administration to allow those farmers to carry out the harvesting activities.
“The harvesting was started on Thursday onward, three to four farmers have completed their harvesting while the rest of others shall soon get their work done, it is now going on smoothly,” Gurwinder Singh Tony added.
When asked that whether the farmers were allowed to go to their fields, Gurwinder Singh said that the administration had allowed only one person who could drive tractor-trailer and allowed two persons to operate the harvesters.
Derabassi Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kuldeep Bawa said that the total land under the wheat crop is around 250 acre and the harvesting had started under his watch.
“We have formed a seven member committee which shall oversee the work, the harvesters were arranged and the process is going smoothly,” he added.
The SDM further added that they had earmarked a space for the farmers for wheat procurement in a old factory on Ambala-Chandigarh road.