CM inquires about bird flu situation in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 31: Today, the chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee held a videoconference and discussed the situation aroused of bird flu in Cooch Behar district with ADM (D) Mr Pannalal Mahapatra, CZP sabhadhipati Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda and deputy director of Animal Resources Development department Dr Tapan Kumar Roy. The ADM (D) apprised the CM of the latest position of culling in this district. The chief minister asked them to form a district level committee immediately to monitor the situation.

 

The CM also asked the officials to form block level committees to prepare lists of the affected persons and the number of birds culled and killed. The proposed committees will have to be constituted within a week and these are to be activated as early as possible. The lists will be used to disburse compensation to the affected families. Not only the declared amount of Rs 500 per family will be distributed but also different schemes related to animal husbandry will be launched for their benefit, The ADM (D) said.

 

The CM made it clear to the officials that no member of the RRTs involved in culling should be allowed to go back to their houses right now. They should be kept under surveillance for at least one week.

 

Meanwhile, culling of domestic birds in the selected villages of Dinhata-I and Dinhata-II declared completed. The total number of chickens, ducks and pigeons culled in the area is 49,595. Yesterday, eight Rapid Response Teams were deployed to cull remaining birds but no culling was done, as they found no birds for the job. The mop up drive was also completed in these two blocks.

 

In Mathabhanga-I block 10,492 birds were culled till last night. Cooch Behar ADM (D) Mr Pannalal Mahapatra hoped that culling might be completed in the villages of this block by tomorrow. After that mop up drive will be launched.

 

On the otherhand, fifty surveillance teams were formed. These teams will visit the villages from where abnormal deaths of birds were reported. They were instructed to report any case of influenza or similar ailments immediately to the authorities.

 

It was learnt that the district administration already paid Rs 15,08,750 in Dinhata and Rs 1,19,910 in Mathabhanga as compensation to the villagers whose chickens and ducks were culled during the drive. []