The Group of Ministers (GoM), formed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to closely monitor the situation and take necessary steps for the control of Lumpy Skin disease (LSD) in the state, directed the officials of the animal husbandry department to vaccinate all the bovine in Gaushalas within three days.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar directed that the relief work should be carried out on a mission mode.
Asking to ensure the target of vaccinating 50,000 cattle per day, the Cabinet Ministers said, “We have to strictly deal with this calamity. And, the lackadaisical approach in the ongoing prevention work will not be tolerated."
They categorically instructed to issue show cause notices to the employees with poor performance, saying that all the holidays of the employees should be cancelled to ensure timely treatment to the animals.
They also asked to use the generic medicines as per requirement.While reviewing the ongoing operations to prevent African Swine Fever, the Ministers said that the guidelines of the "Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009" should be implemented in letter and spirit and the movement of pigs should be strictly banned.
Principal Secretary Mr. Vikas Pratap apprised the Ministers that till date, the animal Husbandry department has received 6.86 lakh doses of goat pox vaccine. Over 3.31 lakh cattle have been vaccinated, while more than 3.54 lakh doses of goat pox vaccine are available with the department.
He informed that 1,08,958 animals are suspected to have been affected by the lumpy skin disease out of which 64,475 animals are cured. He emphasized that the vaccine is being administered totally free of cost.
He said that the animal husbandry department had received Rs.1 crore from the Rural Development Fund to purchase the medicine and logistics. To shun the practice of throwing the carcasses of dead animals in the open, the SOP has also been released to district administration for ensuring proper disposal of carcasses, said Mr. Vikas Pratap adding that besides deployment of 179 Veterinary interns and Para-veterinary students to different districts for the control of disease, school students are also roped in the awareness campaign among the livestock farmers regarding cause and spread of disease and safe consumption of milk from affected animals.
It was discussed that services of NGOs and other veterinary doctors may be taken, if need arises.Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Finance Commissioner Rural Development & Panchayats K. Siva Prasad, Director Animal Husbandry Dr. Sanjeev Goel, Dr. Inderjeet Singh, Vice Chancellor, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana and Dr. SPS Ghuman, Dean of Veterinary Science College.