Export
of livestock to Pakistan
Sir,
We understand from newspaper
reports that the Government of India has
permitted export of livestock from India
to Pakistan. It is reported that the
Musharraf administration has approved
setting up of four quarantine centres
immediately and another 30 to 40 over the
next few months to accommodate upto ten
thousand animals per quarantine centre,
where the animals exported from India
will be kept for 15 days before being
certified as disease free and fit for
slaughter for meat. The preliminary
estimates of exports put the figure as 10
lakh animals per annum. Pakistan will
permit duty free import of these live
animals into its country.
To say the least, this is a
very ill-conceived proposal. Livelihoods
of a very vast number of people in rural
India is dependent on rearing of animals
i.e cattle, sheep and goat. The 17th
livestock census report indicates about
10 percent decline in population of
cattle and a very very negligible rise in
population of sheep and goat. Even
otherwise there is large scale
clandestine export of livestock across
the border both to Pakistan and to
Bangladesh as also to the Middle East
from various ports of Gujarat. Throughout
the country the public sentiment is
against the export of meat which is being
continued to cater to the vested
interests of a few private sector
entrepreneurs and their patrons in
bureaucracy and politicians. It is
painful to note that instead of honouring
the public sentiments of banning meat
export from the country the Government is
taking steps now to export livestock
also.
We request the Government of
India reconsider the whole issue and
reverse the decision to permit export of
livestock to Pakistan/Bangladesh and also
to consider banning to meat export from
the country.
Yours
etc...
Dr. Rajendra Mishra
Secretary, Gokul,
25 D/C Gandhi Nagar,
Jammu
Targetting
tourists
Sir,
The terrorists are
targetting the tourists in Jammu and
Kashmir. Due to the embracing climate of
Kashmir, even though hit by terrorism,
tourists from allover India are visiting
it. The flow of tourists, terrorists
apprehend, may foil their nefarious
designs, so they make tourists their
target.
I request the State Govt. to
take firm steps to save the lives of
tourists and local people.
Yours
etc...
Anil Kumar Kasavar
Via e-mail
Release
COLA
Sir,
The PSU employees get COLA
in lieu of DA which gets notified by the
Govt during January of each year on the
basis of increase in price index in the
proceeding year as permissible in light
of Wages Committee Report approved by
State Cabinet during 1981. The poor
employees of PSU can not bear with the
price hike which is touching the sky but
the agony is that the top hierachy does
not bother to brief the Chief Minister in
this regard. Now the CM has promised that
the prevailing conditions of PSUs will be
reviewed within two months and all
arrears released subsequently but more
than one month has passed, but no action
has been initiated in this regard leaving
PSU employees on the mercy of God. The
height of things is that the DA of Govt
employees has been included in this
year's is budget but no mention of COLA
has been made anywhere. The COLA is due
to them for the year 2004 and 2005. Will
the CM keep up his word is to be seen.
Yours
etc...
Ab. Qayoom Batt
Bahu Fort
Jammu
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