Livestock fairs being held to bribe voters: Opposition

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 9

The state government’s decision to hurriedly hold block-level livestock championships across Punjab close to the Assembly elections is being seen by the Opposition as a way to bribe voters.

The winners to be announced by the Animal Husbandry Department will get cash prizes.

Sources confirmed that almost 10 days ago, all district deputy directors received a letter that gave them time till December 15 to hold and complete the block-level fairs 2016.

A senior Animal Husbandry Department official told The Tribune that the district and national-level championships for this year were already over. There was no point in holding such fairs now.

“The department, which usually finishes its budget by March every fiscal, wants to spend the budget allocation in December with an eye on the elections,” he said.

The winners of competitions in different breeds of milch cattle will win cash prizes worth Rs 3,100 and Rs 2,100 in different categories. Approximately Rs 5-6 lakh have been sent for holding block-level events.

This is the first time that such an event is being held across the state. Usually, the event is held keeping in view the annual state-level and national-level livestock championships as the winners from the district level get entries to these events.

Former Finance Minister Lal Singh alleged that the government wants to bribe farmers at the block level “knowing that elections are due soon” and that the election commission must take note of it. “The government failed to bail out the dairy industry. Now, it is holding block-level events to woo them for the poll,” he said.