<p>Judgment of the Supreme Court in the matter of Tapas Guha & Others Vs Union of India & Others dated 06/05/2024.</p> <p>The Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Union Government decided to build
The poultry industry, which has suffered losses on account of the recent outbreak of avian flu in West Bengal, is eagerly waiting for the government's subvention on interest rates charged on loans extended to them by banks. The Reserve Bank of India, last week, had issued guidelines to banks suggesting a one-year moratorium on repayment of outstanding loans, conversion of working capital loans into term loans, and re-schedulement of term-loan repayment as a relief to the affected poultry industry. According to sources, the finance minister P Chidambaram may announce the government's subvention rates on loans extended to the poultry industry either before the Budget or may spell it out in his Budget speech. The Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had earlier announced that the government would work out separate relief packages for the poultry sector - one exclusively for poultry farmers in West Bengal and the other for the poultry industry in the country as a whole, which has suffered in sales due to a dip in prices in the country and the ban imposed by different countries on Indian poultry imports. The government's package would include subvention rates on interest charged by banks. He had assured that the financial package would be an improved one over that announced in March 2006 on account of the outbreak of bird flu. The March 2006 package contained 4% interest subvention, a one-year moratorium period for repayment of loans, conversion of working capital into loans, and extension of fresh loans for working capital. "The poultry industry had demanded zoning of poultry areas in the country based on geo-climatic conditions, so that exports from bird flu-free zones can be business as usual, ban on export of corn and soybean to augment feed availability, 7% central government's interest subvention on loans, and a two-year moratorium on repayment of loans,' said Anuradha Desai, chairperson of the National Egg Coordination Committee. The government has turned down the proposal for zoning of poultry areas, even though the industry had pointed out such zoning or compartmentalisation exists in the US and is allowed by the world animal health organisation - OIE. It has also refused to impose a ban on exports of corn or soybean. India has a poultry population of 489 million (nearly 3% of world's poultry), out of which 51% is concentrated in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Due to the recent incidence of avian flu in West Bengal, culling operations were undertaken not only in those states but also in parts of the neighbouring states - Assam, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
Heaving a sigh of relief after the prolonged bird flu scare in the State, the All Assam Poultry Farmers' Association (AAPFA) has divulged that the poultry industry in the State has managed to regain the lost market up to at least 60 per cent ever since the ban on the import of poultry products was lifted, excluding the West Bengal origin products. The association further informed that as the sale is going higher with every passing day, the prices of the poultry products, especially livestock would go up, thanks to the limited stocks of birds and other poultry products in the market. The State Government, it may be mentioned, had lifted the ban on the import of the poultry products a couple of days back. Culling of birds in bordering districts of Kokrajhar and Dhubri followed the ban, which was imposed after the outbreak of the avian influenza in the neighbouring West Bengal. Rajib Sarma, secretary of AAPFA, predicting a stiff rise in the prices of the poultry products in the next 10 to 15 days, said, Though chickens are now being sold at Rs 50 in the wholesale market, it is expected to go to around Rs 65 at least. "At present, as no livestock is being imported, the industry has failed to meet the demand, especially in the city,' Sarma pointed out. He, however, asserted that the local production would certainly get a boost in the next one month as the import of bird feed to the State has been allowed. "Our primary concern was regarding the acute shortage of feed, the ban on which was virtually throwing the entire poultry industry to the jaws of death. But the early decision on the part of the State Government to lift the ban has averted a major blow to the poultry industry,' Sarmah reiterated. It needs mention here that the region depends on States like West Bengal for at least 7,000 kilograms of chickens per day. Meanwhile, the association has also urged the State Government to release the money under the development project so that the industry can be revitalised quicker.
The Naduar region in Sonitpur district has been one of the most neglected areas in the State, according to the people here. One of the main causes of this opinion has been the indifferent attitude of the Government towards the checking of erosion caused by the Jia Bhoroli river. The citizens of greater Naduar have vehemently criticised the State Government for it failure to check the erosion of cultivable land of the people residing near the Jia Bhoroli river, though successive Governments in the State have claimed to have spent more than Rs 15 crore from the exchequer in the name of flood-protection measures. Till date, more than 5,000 hectares of cultivable land have been washed away by the mighty river. People living in the areas near the river
After the devastating earthquake of 1869, Barak Valley was hit by another tremor of serious dimension in 1984. The studies then carried out by experts from the Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Jorhat, and the National Geographical Research Institute, Hyderabad, revealed that this valley and the entire North-east region is active seismologically. Interestingly, the Trans-Atlantic belt and the Circum-Pacific belt that form part of the two great earthquake zones or seismic belts in the world unite at the corner of Asom and Myanmar, which is the most unstable seismic region.
The Central Government has approved 75 flood control and anti-erosion schemes proposed by the State Water Resources Department (WRD) for implementation from this financial year. The schemes are worth around Rs 434.839 crore, 29 thousand. The Centre is releasing before March next the first installment worth Rs 97.83 crore against the schemes. However, the release of funds will depend on the progress of implementation of the schemes.
Gargaon College, in collaboration with ONGC, Nazira, is organising a national seminar on
The role of the State in implementing the bio-fertiliser schemes has been lauded by several quarters, including the Central Government. This became evident today at the North East Zonal Conference For Kharif. Joint Secretary, Integrated Nutrient Management of the Union Government Satish Chander expressed the hope while addressing the conference that Assam would be able to lead the NE States in this area. The representatives of the Regional Centre for Organic Fertiliser told the conference that the State has around 4032.9 hectare of certified farmland for organic farming.
A high-level expert committee meeting involving the representatives of the State Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department and a host of other related departments today formally recommended the lifting of poultry import ban in Assam, with the final notification likely to be issued in two days. Moreover, the committee has also vouched for the formulation of a special developmental scheme, which would aim at compensating the loss incurred by the farmers of the poultry industry in the State after the government ordered culling of birds as a precautionary measure.
BOKAKHAT, Feb 17
