The Punjab Government has decided to set-up modern herd stations at Charrik (Moga), Samana (Patiala) and Batala (Gurdaspur) with a total cost of Rs. 18.5 crore to promote dairy farming in the state. These mandis would be equipped with all the requisite facilities including veterinary hospitals, cover sheds, bath tubs, loading/unloading facilities, apartments for night stay. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister, disclosing this here today said that the Punjab Government has already established 8 state-of-the-art herd station with a total cost of Rs. 44 crore and now with the completion of these three new ones the Punjab would become one of the top states in the country having 11 hi-tech herd stations. He said that these stations would prove a boon for improvement of animal breeds vis-à-vis witnessing increase in production of milk in the state. He informed that the massive animal fairs would also be held in these stations.The Minister said that in coming days the SAD-BJP government would inaugurate the newly constructed herd stations at Dhanaula (Barnala) and at Nabha, Patiala worth Rs. 11.5 crores while the construction work of two hi-tech animal markets worth Rs. 11.5 crores at Jagraon in Ludhiana district and Dauoonmajra in Mohali district was under progress on war level, which would also become operational in near future. He said that Killeanwali (Muktsar) has witnessed first hi-tech herd station in Punjab with a total cost of Rs. 7.5 crore followed by Navipur (Hoshiapur) at the cost of Rs. 7.5 crores and Valla (Amritsar) with a total cost of Rs. 4 crores respectively. He said that a modern herd station was also fully operational at Subhanpur in Kapurthala worth Rs. 3 crore witnessing massive animal fairs. Rakhra said that under the able leadership and directions of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Rural Development and Panchayats Department has a definite plan to set-up at-least one herd station in each district and big cities in the state. He also informed that in these markets the veterinary hospitals, cover sheds, bath tubs, loading/unloading facilities, apartments for night stay for the rearers of animals besides facilities of a control room having complete information regarding various breeds.