BSF to get PPE Kits soon to undertake physical checks of farmers  

DC appeals farmers to keep social distancing

BSF to get PPE Kits soon to undertake physical checks of farmers

Ferozepur, April 3, 2020: The issue with regarding of providing the PPE – Personal Protective Equipment – Kits has been taken up with the Punjab government, for BSF officials, to check the farmers, who had to go for last watering of their standing crop and later on, harvesting, whose land is across the border fencing, from security point of view and the same will be resolved within two-three days, said Kulwant Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Ferozepur.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had already directed the Deputy Commissioners to take all necessary steps to ensure hassle-free harvesting and marketing of wheat, amid the continuing COVID-19 and curfew restrictions in place in the state.

During the meeting, DC Ferozepur had requested that BSF personnel be provided the 400 PPE kits they had asked for to undertake physical checks of farmers who had land across the fence and were not currently being allowed to go there.
India, the world’s second-most populous nation, has prepared a multi-pronged strategy to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus, which is threatening to turn into a pandemic.  The security agencies working near the international border touching Pakistan, in Punjab, too are conscious about the safety measures.

Punjab border has huge agriculture land across the fencing, ahead of zero line, cultivated and harvested by the farmers.  They are allowed the entry in the morning through passes after proper searching and in the evening on return.  But in the wake of threat of corona virus, the security agencies staff too need the Personal Protective Equipment kits – PPE Kits – to avoid any transmission of virus among the security jawans.

DC said, due to corona virus, one cannot touch physically the patient or any other person and the PPE Kits, which prevents the transmission of the virus not only in treatment centres but also in various other activities. The kits have been demanded by the Border Security Force officials, to check the farmers while crossing the fencing to look after their land for watering or harvesting.

Around 8000-9000 agriculture land is across the fencing and to maintain the law and order, the checking by the BSF officials is a routine feature, from security point of view and to keep a close eye on the smuggling through the plain area border and  but in the wake of corona virus threat, the demand is genuine.  However, the issue has been taken up with the government, the same will be resolved within two-three days, said DC.

Meanwhile, the DC appealed to the farmers to maintain social distancing to give a fight to the corona virus threat, while working in the fields and cooperative in following the guidelines of the government from time to time.