Chandigarh, Aug 29 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday demanded from the AAP government in Punjab to give a compensation package of Rs 300 crore to dairy farmers in the wake of the outbreak of lumpy skin disease.
Badal also slammed the state government for having failed to come to the aid of dairy farmers by not releasing compensation of Rs 50,000 per cattle head. He claimed that more than 50,000 cattle died due to the disease.
“Now, it appears a more comprehensive package is needed to help dairy farmers whose cattle were affected by the contagious disease but survived,” he said.
Badal said the milk production fell by over 20 per cent while lakhs of farmers spent a huge amount to treat their cattle with the Animal Husbandry Department falling short in treating animals and even in releasing vaccines.
“All of them should be duly compensated as the entire dairy sector is in a state of crisis,” he demanded.
Badal also sought from the government to fulfil 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,” he said.
Asserting that the dairy sector had been strengthened in Punjab over the past few decades with an aim to increase farm income through allied activities, Badal said former 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.
The disease has mainly affected cows with several districts such as Fazilka, Muktsar, Faridkot, Bathinda and Tarn Taran the worst-hit.
The contagious disease spreads rapidly among animals through flies, mosquitoes and ticks. It causes soft blister-like nodules all over the body, fever, runny nose, watery eyes, salivation, reduced milk yield and difficulty in eating. PTI CHS VSD RDK
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