By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 10 Jun: State Animal Husbandry / Milk Development and Fisheries / Sugarcane Development and Sugar Industry / Skill Development Minister Saurabh Bahuguna held a meeting with the officers of the Animal Husbandry, Skill Development, Sugarcane Development and Milk Development Departments in the Conference Room at Vidhan Sabha Bhawan today. During the meeting held with Sugarcane and Sugar department, the minister said that about 75 per cent payment of dues to the sugarcane farmers have been already done. Another instalment of Rs 50 crore has been demanded from the state government. He said that at present the payment of 134 crores of sugarcane farmers was pending and a plan was being made to pay the balance dues to them at the earliest.
In the meeting related to the State Grant Selection Committee, taking cognisance of the fact that the penal provisions under the Central ActPrevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 prescribed very low penalties for cruelty to the animals, Bahuguna directed the Officers that they prepare a draft proposal to be sent to the Union Government of India for amending the penal provisions so that the penalties could be raised significantly keeping with the present time.
The Minister said that discussions would be held with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan regarding making new proposals for skill development for the betterment of the youth of the state so that better projects could be brought for the development of the state.
In relation to the Department of Milk Development, the Minister said that an order be issued to increase the incentive amount of milk from Rs 4 to Rs 5, an increase of Re 1 in hill areas and by Rs 0.50 per litre in the plains.
Instructions were given by the Minister to prepare a proposal for an inclusive policy for the management of destitute cows and the Animal Husbandry Department and to take up this project in Udham Singh Nagar as a pilot project. He asked them to look at the similar policies brought in by neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh. He further asked the Animal Husbandry department prepare a proposal in this respect to be operated through non-government animal welfare organisations / charitable institutions on PPP mode by constructing Gau Sadans on the government land to be allotted to them for this purpose. In the meeting, it was decided to allot a maintenance grant of Rs.83.33 lakh for 9286 cows taking refuge in 35 Gau Sadans of the state.
