Release Rs 300 cr package for dairy farmers, Sukhbir to Punjab govt
Darpan News Desk IANS, 29 Aug, 2022 11:50 AM
Chandigarh, Aug 29 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday demanded Punjab's Aam Aadmi Party government release a Rs 300 crore comprehensive compensation package for dairy farmers whose livelihood is at stake after their milch animals fell prey to lumpy skin disease (LSD).
Castigating the government for failing to come to the aid of dairy farmers by refusing to release compensation of Rs 50,000 per cattle head for more than 50,000 cattle deaths, he said: "Now it appears a more comprehensive package is needed to help dairy farmers whose cattle were hit by the contagious disease but survived.
"The cattle are recording a fall in milk production by more than 20 per cent. Lakhs of farmers have also spent huge amounts of money to treat their milch animals with the Animal Husbandry Department falling short in treating animals and even in releasing vaccines to counter the disease. All of them should be duly compensated as the entire dairy sector is in a state of crisis."
Badal also demanded the government fulfill the assurance given during the Budget session in the Vidhan Sabha that it would increase milk procurement prices to Rs 55 per kilogram fat.
"This promise was to be fulfilled by both MILKFED and the Punjab government. While MILKFED started paying farmers Rs 20 per kg fat from May 21, the Punjab government is yet to pay dairy farmers Rs 35 per kg fat since the last three months."
Asserting that the dairy sector had been strengthened in Punjab over the last few decades with the aim of increasing farm income through allied activities, Badal said then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal even entrusted this responsibility to the state farmers' commission formed by him.
"This step resulted in a radical improvement in the quality of livestock in Punjab. All these gains will be frittered away in case the present government does not compensate farmers for the huge losses suffered by them. The entire white revolution exercise will fall flat," he added.
Asserting that the vaccination exercise against LSD was still incomplete even though the disease had broken out in July, Badal said, "It is even more condemnable that the Animal Husbandry Department has failed to release money for treatment against LSD and the district administration has been forced to direct the village panchayats to foot this bill."
The crime data indicates that 158 murders have taken place in the state this year in almost 100 days making an average of 50 murders per month, while in previous years, the number of murders was 724 and 757 in 2021 and 2020, respectively, making the monthly average of murders for 2021 and 2020 was 60 and 65 murders respectively.
Terming the record-breaking figures a result of the good arrangements, he said the state government was committed to welfare of the farmers and would continue to take all possible steps to facilitate them.
When a foul smell emanated from the car in the morning, the ashram staff opened the vehicle and saw the body inside after which they informed the police. The police reached the spot, took custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem.
On January 12, the BSF had seized heroin, arms and ammunition along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, allegedly being pushed in by Pakistani-based smugglers.
The fortified rice would be available throughout the TPDS under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman-PM POSHAN [erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM)] and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS), a cabinet statement said.
The accused, identified as Prince Emeka Lath (34), a permanent resident of Anambara in Nigeria, was presently residing in Tilak Nagar. He came to India on a tourist visa in January 2017, but even after his visa expired, he neither extended it nor returned to his country.
