Pithoragarh, March 26 Nainital MP Ajay Bhatt has written a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, stating that the Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DIBER) in Haldwani should not be shut down, as it would adversely affect farmers, local youth and traders, and scientists employed in the labs.
Bhatt, a former Union minister of state for defence, urged the defence minister to dispel the fear that the central government intends to gradually shut down DIBER, formerly known as the Defence Agricultural Research Laboratory (DARL), and its associated laboratories located in the interior areas near the India-China border.
He noted that currently, only a handful of employees remain at the DIBER laboratories, which operates under the aegis of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Bhatt said that during Singh's visit to Haldwani last week, he handed him a letter regarding the matter.
In the letter, he pointed out that discussions are underway to merge the DIBER laboratories with the Institute of Defence Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) in Timarpur, Delhi.
He said that if this were to happen, it would not only adversely affect the interests of farmers, local unemployed youth, and traders in the Himalayan region, but would also impact the academic pursuits of the region's educated talent—specifically regarding opportunities such as internships, junior and senior research fellowships.
"The relocation of DARL would deprive farmers in the high-altitude Himalayan region of the invaluable agricultural advice they currently receive from the scientists working at these laboratories."
Bhatt said he found out the need to set up these agricultural laboratories was first realised in the aftermath of the 1962 war with China.
Their objective was to boost the production of food grains and vegetables in the border areas, thereby enabling the troops stationed there to become self-reliant in terms of food supplies, he said.
The MP from Nainital said that the DIBER laboratories are currently situated in Almora, Haldwani, Pithoragarh, Auli, and Harsil, where research is actively being conducted on methods to maximize agricultural yields within the specific local terrains.
In the letter, Bhatt suggested that, instead, DIPAS—currently located in Timarpur—should be relocated to the border areas of Pithoragarh, Auli, and Harsil, so that it can study the physiology of the people living in these border regions.