M A I L B A G

How to boost milk output in Haryana

Murrah buffalo and Desi cow are Haryana’s important dairy breeds. However, animals with very high milk potential are now reported to be in hundreds only. The milk production in the state has stagnated at 6.9 litres per unit per day because more milk yielding ones are being smuggled out to other states and are butchered there on getting dry.

This has backfired. A buffalo giving 27 litres of milk was sold by a farmer of village Badh Chhaper in Jind district to an Andhra Pradesh trader two years back. The department concerned must not be unaware of it.

It is a wake-up call to the government to protect these breeds from getting extinct and formulate a programme to upgrade these breeds genetically. There is need for a ban on the sale of very high potential ones yielding over 12 litres milk per day outside Haryana (except Punjab).

J.L. DALAL, Former Director of Agriculture, (Haryana), Hisar

Laudable effort

This has reference to the report “Population of girl child increases in Karnal villages” (March 8). I appreciate the Sakhashtra Uthan Samiti, Gram Panchayats concerned and parents of the eight villages for their joint fight against female foeticide. They have broken some parents’ wrong notion that boys are superior to girls.

Today women are known for excellence in many fields. Today’s girl child may become tomorrow another Sania Mirza, Kiran Bedi, Kalpana Chawla or Indira Gandhi. The need of the hour is proper education and general awareness.

AMIT SARIN, Amritsar

Punjab Budget

The Punjab Budget has left the government employees and pensioners high and dry. They are extremely annoyed with the Congress-led government for its failure to address their problems in the Budget despite the Finance Minister’s repeated assurances in this regard.During its four-year rule and after five Budgets, the Congress regime has failed to fulfil even a single election promise made during the last Assembly elections. The Budget is insipid and lacklustre.

YASH PAUL GHAI, Ludhiana

HUDA lottery

I refer to the report “HUDA plots bring big business for banks” (March 8). The extension of the scheme is nothing but making a mockery of the applicants and their hard-earned money. HUDA is doing monopoly trade. The applicants’ money is being grabbed on an open platform.

Strangely, HUDA will not pay any interest to unsuccessful applicants even though it will earn interest on the earnest money from the banks. Justice demands that HUDA should pay at least 50 per cent of the interest earned to unsuccessful applicants retaining 50 per cent as processing fee.

Dr B.S. AGGARWAL, Chandigarh

Out of context

I differ with P.L. Garg’s suggestion to both Congress and BJP to join hands for development (Feb 16). The Congress with a glorious record of past cannot join hands with a communal party like the BJP. That’s why, the NDA partners are not at ease with the BJP. As for the Akalis, they lost the sheen after sharing power with the BJP which is basically an offshoot of the RSS.

Mr Garg’s example of Germany cannot be quoted in the Indian context. Our politicians here are quite different. Let us try to root out communalism and criminalisation of politics.

KULTAR SINGH KHABRA, Jalandhar city

Ban hoardings

A number of hoardings have come up in Bathinda despite the Supreme Court’s ban. Religious and political organisations are putting up huge colourful hoardings all along the Mall Road, Hanuman Chowk, GT Road, Courts Complex etc. The administration is turning a blind eye to this menace. If the officers concerned do not help remove these hoardings and bill boards, they must be hauled up for contempt of court.

S. GARG, Bathinda