Bird Flu : Minister to hold talks in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 13: The state animal resources development minister Mr Anisur Rahaman will convene a post Bird Flu review and prevention meeting in Malda tomorrow.The district magistrate has asked the Chanchal SDO and other officials to attend the meeting.Only two blocks in Chanchal sub-division in the northern part of Malda district was hit by Bird Flu where more than 16,000 families handed over their back yard chickens for culling.District administrative officials said that the minister would also inaugurate a bulk milk cooler plant at the farm house of the Malda animal resources development department in English Bazaar town tomorrow and hold a meeting with the officials for post avian flu preventive measures and preparation."A women's dairy cooperative society has been formed based on the bulk milk cooler plant here. This cooperative society would supply milk to the Kulik chilling plant in Raiganj, North Dinajpur."Tomorrow the milk cooler unit would be handed over to the officials of the Milk Federation in presence of the minister.", Mr NK Shit, deputy director, ARD, Malda said.Prior to the meeting with the ARD minister Mr Debashish Sarkar, SDO, Chanchal has been preparing an estimated budget of the expenditures in order to ask for funds from the government.“More than Rs 15 lakh is required to make the payment of other expenses for conducting the culling and mopping up and surveillance programme in the Bird Flu affected areas”, a senior administrative official said.The district administration has already paid the compensation to the villagers whose backyard chickens were culled during culling and mopping up.“A total of Rs 22.9 lakh has been paid to villagers after culling 86,903 backyard chickens in Chanchal I and Harishchandrapur I Block areas”, the Chanchal SDO said.The ARD and panchayat is preparing a fresh list of people entitled to compensation of Rs 500 to begin their business after three months.