Farmers smuggle birds to Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan 18: Chickens from South Dinajpur are being transported to the neighbouring blocks in Malda for selling with a view to avoiding culling by the rapid response team. The administration could not stop its transportation owing to lack of government orders to check transportation from one district to a safer district. “Still we do not have the government order to check all the vehicles to stop carrying chickens. We need a government order for the arrangement of checking all vehicles at the borders of two districts of Malda and South Dinajpur," the Malda district magistrate, Mr CR Das said. “We can easily spot the vehicle carrying chickens in large number with the help of police," Mr CR Das said. “After the confirmation of the bird flu in the neighbouring districts, all the concerned officials have been alerted for preparedness so that they can combat the situation," he said. It was reported that chickens from South Dinajpur district are being shifted to other districts for selling. On the other hand, following a media report of thousands of birds which died in the Chanchal sub division, in the northern part of Malda, a special team of animal resources development today rushed to the areas for collecting report and blood samples of the ailing birds and dead birds. The deputy director of Malda ARD, Mr NK Shit, today claimed that there was no report of mass mortality of birds in Malda and even in the northern part of Malda. "A team has been sent to the areas for verification of the report," said Mr Shit. Following the bird flu scare, the sale of chickens has gone down in the market. Several farmers, who run poultry farms under the supervision of the ARD today met the office bearer of the Malda zilla parishad and claimed compensation for the loss of their business. The farmers said that they are not in a position to make up for the the production cost owing to bird flu scare. In the meantime. a doctor named Rajiv Patro (42) commited suicide in Balurghat. He was sent there as a member of the bird culling team. His body has been sent for autopsy. The DM and SP have visited the area.