NEW DELHI, 17th January 2026:
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday announced a major relief for farmers in Punjab’s border belt after the Central Government agreed in principle to shift the Border Security Fence closer to the International Border, a move that will clear the way for unhindered cultivation of thousands of acres of farmland currently trapped beyond the fencing.
Calling on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, the Chief Minister said farmers have long been forced to cross the fence with identity cards and under BSF escort to reach their own fields, facing daily hardship and uncertainty along the 532 km India Pakistan border where fencing lies deep inside Punjab’s territory. He said the Home Minister informed him during the meeting that the issue is under active consideration and that the fencing will be shifted towards the border, bringing Punjab’s land back on the accessible side without compromising national security.
Alongside the border issue, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann also raised a series of long pending concerns, including Punjab’s objections to the proposed Seeds Bill 2025, the unresolved Sutlej Yamuna Link dispute (SYL), slow movement of foodgrains by the FCI, freezing of Arthia Commission, non payment of Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Mandi Fund, and the dilution of Punjab’s role in Chandigarh’s administration, seeking prompt and time bound resolution of these matters.
Raising serious objections to the proposed Seeds Bill 2025, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann 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.”
The Punjab CM 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.”
The Chief Minister further pointed out that seed varieties tested and released in foreign countries have been allowed for import and sale in Punjab and other states without compulsory multi location testing under state specific agro climatic conditions, posing serious risks to farmers. He conveyed that agriculture is Punjab’s lifeline, where farmers grow crops, sell part of the produce and retain seeds for the next season, and forcing farmers to depend entirely on companies for seeds is neither practical nor in farmers’ interest. He urged that the Bill should not be brought before Parliament in its present form, and was assured by the Union Home Minister that the concerns would be examined.
Reiterating Punjab’s long standing position on river waters, 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 Satlej, Ravi and Beas waters, and therefore construction of the Satlej Yamuna Link canal is not viable.”
He noted that out of 34.34 Mean Annual Flow (MAF) of water from these rivers, Punjab was allocated only 14.22 MAF, about 40 percent, while the remaining 60 percent was allocated to Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan, even though none of these rivers actually flow 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,” he asserted, adding that Punjab’s stand before the Supreme Court remains firm that there is no water to spare.
Highlighting the problem of foodgrain movement and storage, the Chief Minister said, “For the last five months, FCI has been moving only about 4 to 5 Lakh Metric Tonnes of wheat and 5 to 6 LMT of rice from Punjab. Against 95 LMT of pending rice of Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26 to be delivered, only 20 LMT of storage space is currently available.”
He stressed that to ensure timely delivery of custom milled rice of KMS 2025-26 and availability of space for wheat during RMS 2026-27 commencing from April 1, 2026, a minimum monthly movement of 20 LMT of foodgrains, 10 LMT each of wheat and rice, is required. He also urged deployment of special trains to clear stocks, noting that Punjab contributes around 125 LMT of wheat to the national pool and proper storage is essential for national food security.
On the issue of Arthia Commission, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The Arthia Commission has been frozen since the 2019-20 procurement season, contrary to the provisions of The Punjab Agriculture Produce and Marketing Act 1961, and is currently capped at ₹46 per quintal for wheat and ₹45.88 per quintal for paddy.”
He pointed out that the commission at silos has been reduced to half of that in regular mandis and that the committee constituted in January 2024 to revise the commission has not taken a decision so far. “Arthias are not agents, they provide essential services, and they deserve their rightful share. Delay in revising the commission can disrupt the smooth procurement process, and the rates should be finalised at the earliest,” he said.
Flagging the non-payment of statutory dues, the Chief Minister said, “Despite clear statutory provisions under the relevant Punjab Acts, RDF has not been reimbursed to the state government. Even after amending the Punjab Rural Development Act in compliance with Government of India instructions, RDF has not been released since KMS 2021-22.”
He pointed out that ₹9030.91 crore of RDF and ₹2267.83 crore of Market Fees are pending, severely impacting rural infrastructure development including roads and mandis. “RDF is not a charity. It is Punjab’s rightful share, and we are demanding our due,” he said, adding that the Union Home Minister assured him that a priority meeting would be convened to consider release of the first instalment.
Raising administrative concerns, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stressed that maintaining the long standing 60:40 ratio of Punjab and Haryana officers in the Union Territory of Chandigarh is the need of the hour. He expressed concern over IAS and PCS officers being excluded from key positions and the opening of crucial departments such as Excise, Education, Finance and Health to other cadres, which dilutes Punjab’s role in the UT administration. He said the Union Home Minister assured him that the existing ratio would be maintained.
The Chief Minister also took up the issue of appointing a Punjab cadre officer as General Manager, FCI Punjab, saying that Punjab cadre officers possess critical familiarity with procurement, mandis, storage and movement of foodgrains. He pointed out that historically, regular appointments to this post have been from the Punjab cadre, with officers from other cadres holding only temporary charge, and urged that this convention be followed in the interest of efficiency and national food security.
On border areas, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Along the 532 km India Pakistan border, fencing is located deep inside Punjab’s territory. As per international norms, construction should be beyond 150 meters of the Zero Line, but in several areas of Punjab, the Border Security Fence is located two to three kilometres inside.”
He said that thousands of acres of agricultural land lie beyond the fence, forcing farmers to show identity cards and cultivate their fields under BSF escort every day. “If the fence is realigned closer to the International Border, large tracts of Indian land will come this side of the fence, allowing farmers to cultivate without fear and daily restrictions, without compromising national security,” he said, adding that the Union Home Minister informed him that the issue is under active consideration and that similar realignment has already been tried in Pathankot.
