‘We will buy our own anti-drone system’: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann as border tensions escalate

CM Mann said that Punjab shared a 532 km border with Pakistan. “We have six border districts. We will buy our own anti-drone system. The Border Security Force (BSF) is also supporting us. The BSF already has anti-drone systems. But we will buy more and help the security personnel. Drones will not be allowed to enter our territory and will be felled. Punjab stands with India,” said Mann.

Mann had called an emergency meeting of the Cabinet on Friday amid the heightened tensions along the border. He announced that the Cabinet had also decided that the ‘Farishtey Scheme’, under which road accident victims get immediate help on the roads by Sadak Surakheya Force, would be extended to the victims of war and terrorism.

“Considering the ongoing circumstances, we have decided that the scheme would also cover victims of war and terrorism. Under this scheme, free medical treatment would be given to these victims,” said Mann.

He added that the government was in touch with the deputy commissioners and tehsildars of the border areas. “We will coordinate with the Army. There is no need to panic, no need to listen to any rumours. Some shells have been found in fields. But Punjabis do not fear anything. They have always stood firm with the country. Punjab will stand guard for the Tricolour and its waters. We have filled all the vacant posts in the border areas to ensure that we are on top of the situation,” Mann said.

Mann also said that he was posting his Cabinet colleagues in border districts to ensure that there was no hoarding or black-marketing of essential commodities. He said the ministers belonging to border areas, including Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Lal Chand Kataruchak and Laljit Bhullar, would stay put in these districts along with other ministers and review the situation.

“They will ensure that no hoarding or black-marketing takes place. They will be at the shops and other places. I want to tell people that there is no shortage of LPG, petrol and diesel in the state. There is no need to buy six LPG refills. If anyone is black-marketing, you can complain to the deputy commissioner of your area,” Mann said.

The CM also said that they would be implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and employees who either joined or were appointed in or before 2014 would be given the benefit of the scheme.

He said the Cabinet had also given a nod to promote maize under the diversification plan of the government. “We have written to the Centre to give us Rs 17,000 per acre for diversification to maize. We hope to get this amount for the sake of diversification,” he said, adding that they have already got in touch with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), which will be procuring the maize. MARKFED (Punjab State Co-op Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd) will also purchase it, he added. “We will ensure that if a farmer sows maize after diversifying from paddy, it is procured,” Mann said.

The Cabinet had also given its nod to create a land pool in different parts of the state. “We will do land pooling. The land owners will be given commercial and residential properties in lieu of the land,” he said.