Chandigarh: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala on Tuesday reviewed the vaccination of cattle in Punjab in the wake of lumpy skin disease affecting a large number of animals and assured help from the Centre. Rupala held a meeting with Punjab Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar here to review the situation in the state.
Rupala held another meeting with Haryana Animal Husbandry Minister J P Dalal over the issue. During the Punjab visit took a review of the vaccination process along with the available facilities for cows. Assured them the complete help from the Centre for the eradication of the disease, also encouraged them towards larger number of vaccinations," said Rupala here.
Punjab minister Bhullar raised the demand for arranging goat pox vaccine in adequate quantity for over 25 lakh livestock. Bhullar said the state government has administered 2.05 lakh doses of vaccine to cattle till Monday evening. The affected animals are being monitored and adequate medication and other precautions are being ensured as per the Government of India guidelines.
Bhullar said he had visited various districts of Punjab to get first-hand information about the problems of milk producers. Fazilka, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Tarn Taran, Jalandhar and Amritsar are the most affected districts, he said. The Punjab minister pointed out that there is a huge difference in prices of different vaccines.
"Hence, the uniformity in the price and availability of doses in sufficient quantities should be ensured," he said. To this, Rupala assured that prices of vaccines will be rationalised and the supply in the required quantity to the state will be ensured, according to an official release of the Punjab government.
Rupala also directed to prepare isolation wards for affected animals to check the spread of the disease. Vikas Pratap, Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Punjab, said as many as 74,325 animals have been suspected to be affected by this disease. Of which, 39,248 are cured till date in the state, he said.
Punjab has so far received 3.16 lakh doses of vaccine, said the principal secretary. In neighbouring Haryana, minister Dalal last week had informed the state assembly that they will be conducting a mass vaccination of cattle, restrict their movement from one place to another and ban cattle fairs to arrest the spread of lumpy skin disease in the state. (PTI)
