Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has extended full support to the state’s dairy farmers, saying his government would take all possible measures to ensure that dairy farming in Punjab is not hit by the new central government rules.Expressing solidarity with the dairy farmers, who have strongly opposed the 'tyrannical' rules in a recent notification issued by the environment ministry, the Chief Minister said dairy farming was a big business for the farming community in Punjab and could not be allowed to suffer as a result of the new regulations.
The new rules relate to a notification amending certain rules pertaining to 'Prevention of Cruelty to Animals'.Terming the move as anti-farmer, Captain Amarinder said for the farming community, already reeling under severe crisis as a result of massive debt burdens, these rules could prove disastrous. As one of India’s leading states for cattle breeding and supply, Punjab has a flourishing Rs. 2500 crore dairy business, which it could ill-afford to lose, he added.Dairy farmer was a major source of income for the state’s farmers, Captain Amarinder pointed out, adding that his government was, in fact, working towards further augmenting the business to make it even more lucrative for the farmers and the state.
With many landless farmers also engaged in dairy farming, any rule making it necessary for a person to possess farm land in order to buy and sell cattle would come as a huge setback to the business, the Chief Minister observed. He also agreed with the dairy farmers that a ban on sale of pregnant cattle would also be highly detrimental to the cattle farmers. Given the stringent formalities being introduced by the new rules, it could also lead to corruption and `inspector raj’, as apprehended by the farmers, said the Chief Minister, asserting that his government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy to corruption and was committed to eliminating inspector raj.The Chief Minister’s statement came a day after he approved a series of incentives and measures to encourage farmers in Punjab to adopt allied sectors like dairy farming to supplement their income. Captain Amarinder, a strong advocate of crop diversification as the only real, long-term solution to the problems of the state’s farmers, had on Wednesday called for strong steps to motivate the farmers to go beyond production into direct marketing of milk and milk products, fish and meat & meat products.