Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 18: In contravention to the Prime Minister Narender Modi's endeavour to encourage young entrepreneurs, overstaying staff at veterinary hospital Kathua has openly been looting the young dairy owners, by denying them fitness certificate of cattle, required for getting insurance cover for the livestock.
Narrating his woeful tale, Vivek Sharma of Kathua informed that he has been running from pillar to post for the last over three weeks, for getting fitness certificate of a newly purchased cow worth Rs. 80,000.
"If such a costly cow is not insured, the results may be disastrous for me. I has refused to pay an amount Rs. 500 for fitness certificate of each cow, to the veterinary staff, like he did in 2017, so the hospital staff has been denying the certificate," he said.
Recalling about his decision to start a dairy, Vivek Sharma said, "I was encouraged by PM's initiatives like start-ups, so in 2017, applied for loan of Rs. 2.50 Lakhs to start a dairy. The NABARD provided the loan after paying Rs. 25,000 as security fee, out of which I purchased 4 cows".
Sharma further said that the cows were to be insured by Bajaj Allianz Insurance Company. "For insurance cover, fitness certificate is required from district veterinary hospital. To get the fitness certificate of the two cows, I visited Veterinary hospital Kathua in March 2017, where I met Dr Umesh and Superintendent and appealed them to issue the certificate. After four days, they sent Hari Dass alias Babu to my home for physical check up of the cattle. Hari Dass demanded Rs. 1300, which included Rs. 500 for each cow's fitness certificate and Rs. 300 as petrol expenditure to visit the house, Vivek Sharma said, adding that when he enquired, he found the government fee was merely Rs. 100 and Rs. 1200 was taken by the staff as corruption.
Sharma further said that second time for getting fitness certificate of two more cows, he paid Rs. 1000 again to Hari Dass.
One of the cows died after only one and half month. "It was first Saturday of May 2017 and a holiday but the insurance company's Inspector came for verification, who asked to call veterinary doctors for post-mortem and after repeated requests Dr Naresh from District Veterinary hospital came and conducted post-mortem and asked to take post-mortem report after 15 days", Sharma said, adding that after fifteen days, when he gone to take the report, the staff took Rs. 3,000 for post-mortem report.
Sharma said despite vaccination, all cows fall prey to "Mokhar" and milk-production declined for one month but veterinary staff did nothing more than giving suggestion of giving potash to the cattle.
Sharma further said that after one year once again he purchased another cow worth Rs. 80,000 and desired to get it insured. "None of the Insurance company has agreed to insured the cows but after repeated requests, Bajaj Allianz agreed for group insurance of cattle but sought fitness certificate", Sharma said adding that he had asked the doctors for fitness certificate but Superintendent as well as Dr Naresh and other staff said that Dr Umesh has gone for fifteen day training and whenever he would return, only he would issue fitness certificate.
When the superintendent and other staff refused to give fitness certificate, Vivek said he called on Chief Veterinary Officer Kathua who asked the staff to issue the certificate and they agreed. "This time I decided not to pay them and the certificate was denied.
Once again I approached the CMO, who again instructed them on Tuesday 18th of December but this time Naresh as well as Superintendent asked to bring in written from the insurance company. "Earlier they said, they were not competent and after fifteen days of making rounds, now they have been asking for written from Insurance Company, which is merely an excuse. They have not mentioned anywhere in the notice board for formalities to get the fitness certificate. One official openly said that you will not get the certificate at any cost without paying us the money. It is economical risky for cattle rearers to fight these corrupt officials as if we will not get fitness soon, it will endanger our future", Sharma said, adding that most of the officials have been overstaying here for more than five to six years, who have made their monopoly and looting all the dairy owners.
Vivek Sharma appealed Govenor SP Malik, Commissioner Secretary of Animal Hubandry Asgar Samoon to hold enquiry into the entire matter and take necessary action against these corrupt officials.
Director Animal Husba-ndry Jammu Dr Victor Koul didn't pick up his phone despite repeated calls. |
