Doubling the Farmers' Income in India: Approach of Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries

Doubling the Farmers' Income in India: Approach of Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries

The Lesson: How to Bluff the Country?

The new Government in India formed a new Ministry (Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries) on May 2019 to boost the move for Doubling the Farmers' income by 2022. For control of the two most devastating livestock diseases, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis (each causing an annual loss in livestock to the tune of the US $ 3 billion, i.e, ~Rs. 20500/= crores per year,  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332263494_Proposal_for_Vaccine_and_Vaccination_Policy_for_Control_of_Animal_Diseases_in_India), the ministry got an allocation of a budget of about US $ 2 billion (Rs. 13343/= crores, https://www.narendramodi.in/special-scheme-for-control-of-foot-and-mouth-disease-fmd-and-brucellosis-to-support-the-livestock-rearing-farmers-545152). Earlier the budget was about one-tenth of the new budget allocated for control of FMD and Brucellosis. The determination of the New Government to control diseases in livestock and benefit the farmers and livestock owners is evident with the formation of separate ministry as well as the allocation of a big budget for the purpose.

However, bureaucracy in the New Ministry and Department (DAHDF) is determined to fail the efforts of the new Government. This is evident by the facts revealed through an RTI (DOAHD/R/2019/50172, dated 25-07-2019) to understand the use of the funds allocated earlier. The details are as under:

The RTI requested:
1.            Kindly provide the year wise total budget allocated and utilized in the different state Government and Central Government agencies under different schemes running in your department for Foot and Mouth Disease that is FMD and Brucellosis. Year-wise information, for the last 10 years or since the programs for FMD and Brucellosis Control was started by your department, may kindly be provided at the earliest.

2.            Year-wise purchase details of Vaccines for FMD and Brucellosis control with respect to the number of dosages, suppliers or producers of those supplies through using funds allocated under point 1 in the last 10 years.

3.            Besides the vaccine, other supplies purchased year-wise out of the funds allocated under point 1 in the last 10 years.

4.            Copy of the tenders floated and finalized for purchasing vaccines and other supplies for utilization of the funds allocated at point 1 in the last 10 years.

And the reply is astonishing

"Nil information available".

Similar is the status with control of Classical swine fever, although the Swine fever Control program is in operation since 2014. Please see the RTI and its response below.
Information requested (RTI No. DOAHD/R/2017/50208/1) was
1. The number of Vaccine batches and doses the vaccines used under, Classical Swine fever Control Program 1st January 2007.
2. The number of Vaccine batches used under Classical Swine fever Control Program 1st January 2007 till date have been tested for their quality along with testing reports. Also provide the Date of release of each batch of the vaccine mentioned for field use, date of collection of the samples and date of receipt of the testing report, and date of release of the payment of each batch of the vaccine used should also be provided.

3. The name and address of the producers of the Vaccine batches used under Classical Swine fever Control Program 1st January 2007 till date.

Reply:- Information is not available with CPIO.




Now the big question is:

1. The department which has no account of Rs. 2500/ crores how can we expect that it will be able to manage the budget of Rs. 13343/ crores?

2. How the ministers will be able to handle such a bureaucracy, crafty and loaded with bluffing tactics? 

3. Do the funds will be able to benefit the livestock farmers or will be lost among politicians and bureaucracy?

My letter to CAG of India in this regard is as under:
Respected CAG of India,
                                 It is to bring to your kind notice and request an inquiry against the responsible officials in Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DOAHDF, Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries), who had not maintained the record of money spent on disease control program amounting more than 5000 Crore rupees in last ten years. 

The flaw came to my knowledge  through a reply to RTI DOAHD/R/2019/50172 for
1.            Kindly provide the year wise total budget allocated and utilized in the different state Government and Central Government agencies under different schemes running in your department for Foot and Mouth Disease that is FMD and Brucellosis. Year-wise information, for the last 10 years or since the programs for FMD and Brucellosis Control was started by your department, may kindly be provided at the earliest.
2.            Year-wise purchase details of Vaccines for FMD and Brucellosis control with respect to the number of dosages, suppliers or producers of those supplies through using funds allocated under point 1 in the last 10 years.
3.            Besides the vaccine, other supplies purchased year-wise out of the funds allocated under point 1 in the last 10 years.
4.            Copy of the tenders floated and finalized for purchasing vaccines and other supplies for utilization of the funds allocated at point 1 in the last 10 years.

And RTI  DOAHD/R/2017/50208/1  for
1. The number of Vaccine batches and doses the vaccines used under, Classical Swine fever Control Program 1st January 2007.
2. The number of Vaccine batches used under Classical Swine fever Control Program 1st January 2007 till date have been tested for their quality along with testing reports. Also provide the Date of release of each batch of the vaccine mentioned for field use, date of collection of the samples and date of receipt of the testing report, and date of release of the payment of each batch of the vaccine used should also be provided.
3. The name and address of the producers of the Vaccine batches used under Classical Swine fever Control Program 1st January 2007 till date.
In both cases, the reply was either "Nil information available" or "Information is not available with CPIO".

 Sir, The Government in India formed a new Ministry (Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries) on May 2019 to boost the move for Doubling the Farmers' income by 2022. For control of the two most devastating livestock diseases, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis (each causing an annual loss in livestock to the tune of the US $ 3 billion, i.e, ~Rs. 20500/= crores per year,  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332263494_Proposal_for_Vaccine_and_Vaccination_Policy_for_Control_of_Animal_Diseases_in_India), the ministry got an allocation of a budget of about US $ 2 billion (Rs. 13343/= crores, https://www.narendramodi.in/special-scheme-for-control-of-foot-and-mouth-disease-fmd-and-brucellosis-to-support-the-livestock-rearing-farmers-545152). Earlier the budget was about one-tenth of the new budget allocated for control of FMD and Brucellosis. The determination of the New Government to control diseases in livestock and benefit the farmers and livestock owners is evident with the formation of separate ministry as well as the allocation of a big budget for the purpose.

However, bureaucracy in the New Ministry and Department (DAHDF) is determined to fail the efforts of the new Government. 

Sir, please, do the needful at your end for saving the Farmers of India and wealth of the Nation from the Corrupts.
Sincerely yours

BR Singh

(Bhoj R Singh)

Head, Division of  Epidemiology

Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar-243122, Bareilly, UP, India. 

Jai Bharat