Ambala military farm to be closed

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, June 5

The military farm at Ambala Cantonment, which has nearly 3,000 cattle and a staff of 450 people including 350 temporary employees, is all set for closure.

On July 14 last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had given its nod to shut all 39 farms across the country. Of these, 14 farms have been closed.

The letter from Under Secretary to the Government of India reads: “I am directed to convey sanction of the competent authority for setting of uniform nominal price for transfer of military farms cattle to central/state government departments or state dairy cooperatives at Rs 1,000 per animal subject to transportation cost for collection of animals from military farms to be borne by the central/state government departments or state dairy cooperatives acquiring these animals.”

According to the information available, the cattle are being purchased by different governments from different military farms. The Uttarakhand Government will purchase the animals from Ambala, Jalandhar, Agra, Bareilly, Lucknow and Meerut military farms. No elite cattle and elite male calves will be handed over as those are already earmarked for ICAR.

Dr Nandoo Yadav, general secretary of Military Farm Non-Gazetted Employees Union, told The Tribune, “The farm is all set for closure. The Uttarakhand Government will send its officials and they can take away the cattle any day. These are high-yielding cattle and the cost of each animal ranges from thousands to lakhs of rupees.

“Military farms were established by the British in 1889 to ensure hygienic and adequate supply of milk and milk products to the Army. The military farms are fulfilling the requirements of their concerned cantonments. Article 48 of the Constitution and the statutory procedure laid down in the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 are not being followed in the closure of the farms,” he said.

“Hundreds of employees have been denied their legitimate rights. A case demanding the quashing of orders to close the military farms is pending in the Delhi HC. The next hearing is on July 26,” Yadav said.

About the farm

• The Ambala military farm has nearly 750 acres of fertile land on which green fodder is grown for nearly 3,000 cattle. 
• Of the total, nearly 1,500 produce milk and the production of the farm is nearly 10,000 to 12,000 litres a day

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