Punjab govt may allow foreign firms in milk plants

The Punjab government is keen to allow foreign private companies to set up milk plants in various parts of the state, according to state Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy and Tourism Jagmohan Singh Kang.

The minister was here to attend the state-level prize distribution function organised by the department of animal husbandry and dairy development.

Kang said, "It is difficult for the government to run the milk plants, because they require high investments. On the other hand, foreign companies have already started investing in the same and they provide facilities to the farmers as well."

Kang held out hope for unemployed vets and pharmacists, and said the state government would recruit 2,200 employees on permanent rolls in three months. These would include 682 vets, 850 pharmacists and 668 Class IV employees in the animal husbandry department, he added.

Talking about the recruitment criteria, he said the appointments would be made by panchayats and the other terms would be decided by the government in a few days.

Criticising the practice of giving "unnecessary subsidies" to farmers of Punjab, he said the government would try to develop work culture in the farmers by encouraging them to take up fish farming and dairy farming.

He said for the first time in Punjab the state government honoured successful dairy farmers. "We distributed Rs 49 lakh among the 2,163 dairy farmers throughout the state. Around 1,000 buffalo-owners have received cash prizes in this function and authorities will honour the rest in separate functions at Patiala, Faridkot, Ludhiana and Ropar," said Kang.

He added the animal husbandry department would spend Rs 45 lakh to conduct a vaccination programme to eradicate the foot and mouth disease among cattle in the state. The department had already vaccinated around 4.5 million animals in the state's eight border districts and the rest would be vaccinated within 45 days, Kang said.