Taking cognizance of the news reports in the media relating to '13 animals imported from Pakistan by Badals', a spokesperson of the Punjab Government clarified that Mr. Parkash Singh Badal made payment to the tune of Rs. 16, 71,982 from his personal account towards the price of the cattle, the import license fee and custom duty after following the prescribed procedure under the provisions of Foreign trade.
Clearing the mist over the issue, the spokesperson said in pursuance of the Government of India’s initiative to boost Indo-Pak trade through Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari-Wagha Border, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal in their personal capacities initially applied for a license to import 12 and 8 Cattle respectively from Pakistan for breeding purposes for up gradation of indigenous breed at their own farms at village Badal in Lambi Block of Sri Muktsar Sahib district, to the Director of Foreign Trade, GoI on October 31, 2012 and deposited the requisite Fee Rs. 2700 for this purpose. The import licenses were granted on December 11, 2013. Subsequently, the Ministry of Agriculture, GoI vide its letters dated February 15, 2013 and April 9, 2013 respectively accorded necessary permissions to import cattle through Attari-Wagah border after a long drawn procedure spanning over seven months. Mr. Badal remitted US $ 24,522 (Rs. 13, 48,750) from his personal account vide cheque drawn on State Bank of India, IBD, Semi Branch, Sector 17-B, Chandigarh on April 23, 2013 in the favor of Secretary, Livestock and Dairy Development, Government of Punjab, Pakistan towards the actual price of the cattle. The cattle imported from Pakistan included three Sahiwal cows, one Sahiwal bull, three Nili Ravi Buffaloes, one Nili ravi bull, three Sheep (Balthi breed) and one Ram (Balthi breed) as these were only available in Pakistan as indigenous breeds. These cattle were received by the competent authority i.e. Quarantine Officer from GoI and have been transferred to Kapashera Centre, New Delhi, where these will be kept for one month for quarantine.
The spokesperson further pointed out that Punjab Government of Pakistan had announced to give a Nilli Ravi buffalo as a reciprocating gesture to the Indian Punjab during the Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal’s official visit to Pakistan Punjab in September last. Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today again reiterated to hand over this Nilli Ravi Buffalo which has crossed over Wagha along with other 12 cattle on May 3, 2013 to the state run Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana (GADVASU) for the promotion of indigenous breeds of high yielding milch cattle. It may be recalled that the Deputy Chief Minister had gifted a tractor to the Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Shahbaz Sharif during his visit to Pakistan.
The spokesperson further clarified that an amount of Rs. 3, 20,532 had been paid by Mr. Parkash Singh Badal towards the payment as custom clearance duty for importing these 13 cattle thereby personally incurring a lump-sum expenditure of Rs. 16, 71,982 on this count.The spokesperson further said that the entire procedure for importing cattle from Pakistan almost took eight months and it is now just a a matter of coincidence that these cattle landed at Wagah on the fateful day May 3, 2013.