Statesman News Service
COOCH BEHAR/MALDA, Feb. 3: Residents of Dakshin Dangkoba and Purba Khaterbari in Mathabhanga sub-division strongly resisted culling teams on the second day of the exercise today. Meetings between gram panchayat functionaries and political party leaders are going on to pacify the agitated villagers, said the Cooch Behar district magistrate, Mr Rajesh Sinha.
Meanwhile, about 600 chickens have died in the Jalalpur gram panchayat areas of Kaliachak I block in Malda district in the past three days generating fresh Bird Flu fear. The Jalalpur gram panchayat pradhan, Mr Tapas Chowdhury, today met the Kaliachak-I BDO and informed about fresh chicken deaths urging him to take necessary steps.
The deputy director animal resources development (ARD) department, Malda Mr NK Sit, confirmed the information. “The ARD staffs visited the areas today and they would collect blood samples tomorrow,” he said.
The Cooch Behar district administration has in the meanwhile learnt that the villagers in some areas of the district were hiding poultry to avoid culling. The administration has therefore decided to conduct surprise raids with police help in search of hidden poultry birds, the DM said. “Under the circumstances, culling could continue for a few more days that estimated,” he said.
It was learnt that the culling drive is not going on smoothly in the avian flu affected areas due to resistance from villagers. In the first two days 32 teams have culled about 7,000 birds though the target is 45,000.
The administration today seized a lorry load of sick chickens, which were being transported from the Gosanimari area in Dinhata. Animal resource development department personnel buried all the seized birds. Raids are being conducted in markets in Dinhata too to stop illegal sale of poultry items.
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