Bathinda Cantt’s covid-19 vigil has milk vendors cry for relief to ply trade

These vendors collected milk from dozens of small dairy farmers and supplied nearly 10,000 litres per day to the households and other establishments in the local army area. This is now not happening

Bathinda A year after the covid-19 pandemic hit the country and has now been lifted for months, scores of vendors supplying raw milk to residents of Bathinda cantonment are struggling to survive. These vendors or milkmen are landless or own up to two acre of cultivable land, with supplying milk as their main income source. Their land was acquired in the early 1980s for building the largest cantonment in the country. Most of them took to milk vending since 1985.

Their land was acquired in the early 1980s for building the largest cantonment in the country. Most of them took to milk vending since 1985. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

These vendors collected milk from dozens of small dairy farmers and supplied nearly 10,000 litres per day to the households and other establishments in the local army area. This is now not happening.

Narpat Singh of Bhucho Khurd was supplying nearly 200 litres every day, but had been out of business for the past year. His monthly earning was close to ₹50,000 but now he is unable to pay his equal monthly instalments for a car, house and contribution to the informal recurring investment sector.

“Milk vendors were barred from entering the cantonment in the last week of March last year after the lockdown was imposed. Now, all other professions and sectors have resumed work, we are still not allowed to restart work with cantonment. This has been our only source of income for over three decades,” he said.

Cantonment Branch Milk Vendors’ Union president Buta Singh said milk vending was the main occupation of members and the authorities should revoke the ban on their entry. Singh added, “The ban has affected nearly 1,500 families from whom we buy, having one or two cattle, who are struggling even to give feed to animals due to the disrupted chain of supply.”

“Cantonment staff says milk vendors cannot enter inside, but other civilians are allowed to enter to supply packaged milk. We are dependent upon the army area and our members are ready to strictly follow all medical protocols while resuming work,” said Singh, of Bibiwala village.

For Sandeep Singh, 31, of Bhagu village, the ongoing restrictions have made him sell six cattle over the past few months. Singh said he was now worried about paying school fee to his two children.

“Besides maintaining 16 cattle with my elder brother, I was collecting more than 125 litre milk daily from other farmers. Like others, I have to sell the cattle as the profit margin by working with organised dairy sector is uneconomical. Small dairies in Bathinda face irregular demand,” he added.

Army officials say vendors may have to wait until the pandemic eases. “Army authorities have a compassionate view of milk vendors’ difficulties, but the defence forces have strict instructions of following covid-19 guidelines,” said a functionary at the cantonment.