Demanding that the farmers, who had lost more than 200 cattle in Raika Kalan village, be given compensation at the rate of Rs 50,000 per milch animal, former Union Minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday called for taking adequate measures to stop the cattle disease from spreading to other villages.
“It is shocking that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who had earlier even promised compensation to farmers for loss of their goats and chickens, has not announced any compensation for the villagers of Raika Kalan who had lost nearly their entire cattle wealth to a fast spreading disease in the last five to six days,” said Harsimrat.
She also condemned the Animal Husbandry Ministry for sleeping over the matter for days which had worsened the situation. “The late reaction from the Animal Husbandry Ministry increased fatalities and has also resulted in the spread of infection to Sooch village which has also reported some cattle deaths,” she said.
She demanded that the Animal Husbandry Department provide necessary medicines to the affected farmers as well as dairy owners in neighbouring villages also.
“There is a sense of fear among cattle owners due to the failure of the Animal Husbandry Department in taking steps to halt the spread of the disease in other villages…Adequate medicines are not available in veterinary clinics which has compounded the problem,” she added.