A first: Pashu Kisan cards in Haryana

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 7

Om Pati (38), a resident of Mandholi Khurd of Bhiwani district, ekes out a living for her family, comprising husband and three schoolgoing children, besides a manual labourer by rearing sheep, goats and cattle.

She also rears buffalo calves and sells these when these become adults. Meeting the day-to-day expenditure on livestock has always been a challenge due to her meagre resources.

Today, Pati is among the first beneficiaries in the country of “Pashu Kisan Credit Card” that can be used to meet the day-to-day expenses on animal feed.

So is the case of Nishikant Prashar (29), a dairy farmer from Bawani Khera from Bhiwani. “I have a buffalo and a cow. We consume cow’s milk and sell 14 kg of buffalo’s milk daily to make a profit of Rs 15,000 a month. My wife makes Rs 15,000 per month working at a private school and we have a small grocery shop,” says Prashar.

Both Om Pati and Prashar were among 101 livestock owners who were given credit cards by Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Jai Prakash Dalal at Bhiwani on Friday. Haryana Livestock Development Board Chairman Somveer Sangwan, Additional Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar Gulati and Director General Om Prakash Chhikara were among those present. Both have been provided the card with Rs 60,000 limit, which they can use at an ATM to withdraw money. The credit limit depends on the number of animals a livestock owner has. No collateral is required till credit limit of up to Rs 1.6 lakh, say sources. This will help livestock farmers meet the expenses without collateral and at a nominal rate of interest. To save the livestock owners from financial loss due to accidental death or animal disease, the state government is already running Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashudhan Yojana, says Gulati.

Haryana, with 107.26 lakh tonne milk production, has the second highest per capita milk availability of 1,085 gm in the country and this scheme will further improve the situation as the livestock owners will be able to run their business in a better way now.

101 beneficiaries

Haryana is the first state to implement this scheme. As many as 101 livestock owners have been handed over cards and can use these to pay for animal feed, etc. They can repay within a stipulated period — Sunil Gulati, Addl Chief Secy, Dairying dept