Bengal govt lifts ban on sale of poultry products

Kolkata, Feb 12(UNI) The West Bengal government today lifted a statewide ban on sale of poultry products following improvement in bird flu situation.

''The restriction on sale of poultry products has been withdrawn, except in some parts of the worst-hit Birbhum and Murshidabad districts. The culling is complete and the disease is arrested,'' Animal Resources Minister Anisur Rahman told reporters after a high-level meeting.

The Minister, however, said the moratorium on chicken farming in the affected areas of 16 districts would remain in force for three months and the authorities would continue to keep a strict vigil on the situation.

The meeting was attended among others, by Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta and Health Minister Surjyakanta Mishra.

Mr Rahman said 3.8 million birds had been culled during the statewide drive to tackle bird flu. Since then there were no reports of any unusual death of birds, nor was there any report of human infection.

He said the state government had so far released a grant of Rs 12 crore for the 700,000 families affected by culling and prepared a Rs 700 crore package for their rehabilitation.

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