Chandigarh, August 29, 2022 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today demanded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government release an 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 AAP 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, the SAD President said “now it appears a more comprehensive package is needed to help dairy farmers whose cattle were hit by the contagious disease but survived.
These 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 State 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”.
Mr Sukhbir 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 had 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, Mr Badal said “former chief minister S 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 this year, Mr 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”.
He said besides deputing mobile staff to vaccinate all animals the government should also start an RT PCR facility at the Tehsil level to screen the cattle population of the State. He also asserted that reports suggested the Haryana government had been more proactive in reacting to the onslaught of LSD and secured its cattle wealth in stark contrast with the Punjab government which was yet to come to grips with the crisis.
CLICK HERE to like YesPunjab.com Facebook Page for regular updates
