State Government would soon enact a law to punish those who leave their animals astray as a cognizable offence

Bijender Sharma
Hamirpur---Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has said that the State Government would soon enact a law to punish those who leave their animals astray as a cognizable offence with provisions of fine and other punitive punishment. He was speaking on the occasion of foundation stone laying ceremony of 'Gaushala Bhawan' to be named as 'Kamdhenu Bhawan' at Jamli and dedication of 'Narayan Bhawan' at Jamli in Hamirpur district today.

Chief Minister said that to leave animals astray was cruelty against them and contrary to the moral values and heritage of the country. He said that people use to worship cow and leaving them astray by the people was the matter of concern. He said that Government would tag the animals to establish their ownership and would punish the defaulters.

Chief Minister said that State Government had increased Procurement price of Milk by Rs. 5 per litre during last two years to benefit the dairy farmers and also strengthened the dairy farming in the State.

Chief Minister said that dairy farming had vast potential of income generation and people needed to adopt animal husbandry as their income generating avocation. He advised the farmers to take benefit of various schemes of the state government which included an ambitious Rs. 300 crore Doodh Ganga project. He said that the scheme had the benefit of subsidy and the amount of loan had also been enhanced from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 15 Lakh in each case. He also appealed to the people to produce organic fertilizer which was beneficial for farming.

Dhumal said that the State Government would also make experiment to transfer technology for better species animal rearing so that high milk yielding species were promoted in the rural areas. He said that vermi culture would also be promoted with the help of existing gau sadans in the state besides production of vermi compost. He said that cow was considered to be a holy animal and was of immense value. He appealed to the farmers to rear traditional hill species of cow which could add to their income generation activities.

CM honoured Smt. Sansaro Devi of the area who had donated Rs. 50,000 for the construction of the Narayan Bhawan. Chief Minister was also presented cash and drafts to Chief Minister Relief Fund. by the people standing in queue to welcome him instead of offering him flowers and bouques.

CM also listened to public grievances.

R.S. Mankotia,, Chairman, Kangra Central Cooprative Bank and Chairman of Gau Shala Committee, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for laying foundation stone of the Kam dhenu Bhawan and sanctioning Rs. 15 lakh for the construction of the same. He said that 540 quintals of vermin compost had so far been prepared in the Gaushala which was being supplied to the government and other farmers in addition to about 3,000 quintal of organic fertilizer.

Pyare Lal Sharma, Chairman, APMC and State President, Kisan BJP Morcha, Shri M.C. Parmar, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation, Shri Des Raj Sharma, President, District Hamirpur BJP and senior officers of the district administration were present on the occasion.