Silchar: The 16th Battalion Border Security Force (BSF) in collaboration with the Assam agricultural department, Sribhumi district, on Sunday distributed agricultural products to 300 Indian citizens living across the barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
As part of their civic action programme, the BSF cleaned up the wastelands along the banks of the Kushiara River, outside the barbed wire fence in the Sribhumi district, to involve the border residents in agriculture.
The 300 residents in the border area were provided with seeds, fertilisers and pesticides for free. The 16th Battalion BSF has taken this step to make these residents financially self-reliant.
The measures have been taken along the 25 km border on the banks of the Kushiara River. Wastelands alongside 10 kilometres of Laxmibazar Border Out Post (BOP), 5 kilometres of Sadarashi BOP, 5 kilometres of Chandsrikona, and 5 kilometres of Mubarakpur are being cleared off at a rapid pace.
All kinds of vegetables can be grown in these areas, informed the officials of the agricultural department. Assistant director of the agriculture department of Sribhumi district, Swarup Anand Dutta, who too was present on this occasion, briefed the residents on the ways of farming and the use of pesticides. Dutta welcomed this move by the BSF.
Commandant of the 16th Battalion BSF, Sanjay Kumar Singh, advised everyone to cultivate sincerely and with zeal. He also assured them that he would provide all kinds of assistance in meeting their needs.