Centre works out relief for affected farmers

BIRD FLU SPREADS WINGS

The Centre is working out a relief package to bail out the bird-flu-hit farmers and the poultry industry.

"We have called a meeting of the poultry industry on Wednesday to discuss the issue. The government is keen to lessen the burden of the affected farmers and help the industry whose business has suffered because of the disease. A package is being worked out", said Animal Husbandry Secretary Pradeep Kumar. The meeting will be chaired by agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.

So far, culling of 19,30,000 poultry birds has been completed in the 11 affected districts of West Bengal. The 945 rapid response teams have also destroyed 210,705 eggs and 36,880 kgs of feed in these districts.

"A tentative target to cull 27,00,000 birds in 13 districts have been set up. Culling of over 19,00,000 birds have completed and we expect to complete the entire culling operations by Wednesday. But the situation is highly dynamic and needs to be monitored closely", added Kumar.

Culling operations are lagging behind in Mushidabad, where about 900,000 poultry birds are to be culled, but so far, only 500,000 birds have been culled. "We have asked the state government to expedite culling operations in Murshidabad", he said.

In the districts of South 24 Parganas and West Midnapore, where the disease was confirmed on Sunday, culling operations are likely to begin soon.

The health ministry has so far tested 21 human samples suspected to have been affected by the disease. But all these have tested negative. The government has also provided 420,000 Tamiflu tablets to the state.

Kumar said since the disease was confined to certain areas of West Bengal, it was absolutely safe for people in rest of the country to continue eating chicken and eggs.