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."
A 25-year-old man was stabbed to death in full public view in the national capital, the police said on Friday. The deceased, identified as Mayank Panwar, was a hotel management student.
A senior Delhi Police official told IANS that on April 7, a case was registered at the Cyber Cell in which a fraudster impersonated as a senior government official using the WhatsApp display profile and the name of that dignitary and demanded financial favour in the shape of Amazon gift vouchers by pretending to be in trouble.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police from Punjab: "Extornist Sharif, alias Mazaralam Shaikh, had called up an Amritsar-based doctor demanding Rs 5 lakh as ransom. After introducing himself as Vicky Brar and a member of Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, he had threatened to kill the doctor if the ransom money was not transferred into his account."
In less than 24 hours, police found the baby girl's parents, who were identified as Manjula and Sailesh Bajania. They admitted before the police that they buried the baby as it was premature birth, and since they were financially weak and feared medical expenses, they decided to bury her.
In her letter, DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal demanded that the woman's mortal remains be repatriated to her family in India and a team of psychologists, social workers and police officers meet her children and ascertain their condition.
As per this policy, the royalty of Rs 2.40 per cubic feet will be the same as earlier. Revenue collected under the Information and Technology Department and weigh bridge head, which is 10 paise per cubic feet, will be deposited in the state exchequer instead of being retained by the contractor currently.
