Speed up culling, Centre asks Assam

Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI: The Centre has asked the Assam government to speed up the ongoing culling operations in the State and strictly cordon off the affected areas to prevent spread of the bird flu outbreak.

The State government on Saturday increased the compensation to poultry owners affected by the surveillance restrictions.

N. Gokul Ram, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, told reporters here that during a meeting with Chief Secretary P.C. Sarma and other officials held here on Friday, he had requested the government to speed up the culling operations, do it in a comprehensive manner and complete it at the earliest.

Out of 9 locations in six districts notified by the Ministry as bird flu affected areas, culling operations had been completed in five. Mr. Ram said culling operations were expected to be over by December 16 in the four other locations. Large scale mortality of birds had also been reported in Lakhmipur and Sivasagar districts. Samples from these two districts had been sent for laboratory tests and reports were awaited.

Till Friday, an estimated 3.18 lakh birds had been culled, 1.8 lakh kg eggs and 11,000 kg feed stock were destroyed in the five locations. An estimated 1.5 lakh birds more would be culled in the remaining four locations.

Assam Health Minister and State government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government would bear the additional cost burden due to revision of the compensation amount. The enhanced rates would be Rs. 90 for each layer bird, Rs. 80 for each broiler bird and Rs. 125 for each duck. The old rates were Rs. 40 for broiler bird, Rs. 50 for layer bird and Rs. 75 for duck. The Central and the State governments shared the compensation equally.

In addition to compensation for culled birds, the government announced a one time maintenance cost of Rs. 10 each bird to those poultry owners affected by the ban on movement of poultry and products and closure of poultry and eggs markets within 10 km radius of infected sites.

Commissioner, Animal Husbandry, Assam government, Shyamlal Mewra said that so far Rs. 95 lakh had been paid as compensation to the owners of culled poultry. He said losses would run into several crores but the actual figure would be known only after the culling operations were completed.