Telangana government’s ambitious programme to distribute 84 lakh sheep to traditional shepherd families will commence on June 20.
Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav who reviewed the arrangements for the programme with department officials at the Secretariat here on Thursday, decided to distribute 42 lakh sheep this year by lottery and the remaining 42 lakh next year.
But before the distribution actually commences, awareness meetings would be held in all the districts involving people’s representatives from village to district level and elders in the respective Yadava and Kurma families in villages. Once the monsoon season would start, availability of fodder would be easier. Forest, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry departments were coordinating to raise grass in 45,000 acres of forest besides individual farms, he said.
Good response
The response so far for enrolment into the existing 3,700 societies was very encouraging and if there was any problem in giving membership in the existing societies, then new societies would be set up to give membership. Any one above 18 years hailing from the sheep rearing communities would be given membership. Nowhere in the country, Government was committed to give 75% subsidy to the beneficiary who would have to pay only 25% per unit comprising 21 sheep including one male. About four lakh families are expected to benefit under the scheme.
Collectors were directed to form committees comprising MRO, MDO and others to start enrolment of eligible beneficiaries, he said.
Earlier scheme
Though Government of India introduced the scheme decades ago, 60% of amount to buy sheep came as bank loan, 20% as subsidy and 20% by the beneficiary. But as the banks were insisting on government guarantee, the scheme did not take off. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who wanted to strengthen rural economy by strengthening caste-based vocations decided that government alone would release 75 % of the amount directly as subsidy. This evoked tremendous response from the communities, he said. Government was also tying up with insurance from the place of purchase of sheep and would press into service mobile medical vans to attend on sheep.
Dismissing opposition criticism that the TRS government still wanted BC communities to raise sheep and goats, Mr.Srinivasa Yadav said once those pursuing traditional vocations made enough money, they would use it for education, health of their family members, invest on land for all round development.
