Farmers in Punjab villages along the border would be allowed to harvest their paddy crop.
Amid India-Pak tension, the central government has allowed farmers to harvest their crop during the day in the border villages of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Pathankot and Fazilka districts.
According to an official spokesman of the Punjab government, the decision to allow farmers to visit their agricultural fields has come as a major relief as their paddy is ready for harvest.
The spokesman also said that this applies to fields located along the International Border.
On Thursday, over 4 lakh people from 1,000 villages in Punjab's border districts were asked to evacuate in view of apprehension of retaliation from Pakistani side after Indian Army carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC).
A spokesman of the chief minister's office said today that Mr Badal has taken up the matter with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh so that necessary directions are issued to the Border Security Force (BSF), which mans the 553-km International Border in Punjab, and other security agencies to allow border area farmers to harvest their crop.
"Crops are as dear to the farmers as their children and they cannot bear this loss at any cost. Mr Badal has taken up this issue with Rajnath Singh, who had immediately directed the BSF to allow the farmers of border region to harvest the crop," the spokesman said.
"The Government of India has also allowed the farmers having their land across the fence to reap and lift their crop," the spokesman said.
Mr Badal, who toured border villages on Saturday, said the state government has evacuated the population from border regions following an advisory of the central government.
"It was necessitated for avoiding any sort of major loss to life and property of people. In such situations, the enemy could make any move and could not be trusted. As border villages of Punjab are densely populated, as compared to other states like Rajasthan, it is necessary to evacuate the people for ensuring their safety," Mr Badal said.
Mr Badal also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Army for conducting successful operation and destroying terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).