Free insurance cover to milch animals of SC families

Chandigarh, 10 July (UNI) The Haryana government has decided to provide free-of-cost insurance cover to milch animals of the families belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) who are engaged in the rearing of livestock.

Haryana Agriculture Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha said a sum of Rs 1.35 crore had been earmarked to implement the scheme and for bearing the 100 per cent cost of insurance premium.

Mr Chatha said the state government had fixed a target to set up 3000 new mini-dairies during the current financial year so as to provide job opportunities to the people and also to increase the milk production in the state.

The government was also providing loan facility for the self employment of rural youth for this purpose.The loan was being arranged through banks and subsidy amounting to Rs 10,000 per unit was provided.

As many as 3000 mini-dairies were established during the last financial year, he added.

He said that the state government had initiated several ambitious programmes for genetic improvement of the milch animals and to keep them disease-free.

UNI