No bird flu case in K'taka: Minister

Malpe, Karnataka, Mar 5 (UNI) Allaying the fears of people over consuming chicken and egg, Karnataka Medical Education and Animal Husbandry Minister Dr V S Acharya today said no case of bird flu was found in the State after a fortnight's intensive monitoring.

Inaugurating a massive egg and chicken mela here, jointly organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry, National Egg Coordination Committee and Dakshina Kannada District Poultry Cooperative society, he said a High-Power Committee and a Core Committee, constituted by the State Government, had constantly reviewed bird samples from all the districts on a daily basis in the last 15 days. Even the ban on the State's poultry products by Kerala and Goa had been lifted, he added.

Stating that the post-bird flu scare situation in the State would return to normalcy within a week, Dr Acharya said such food melas were being organised to instill confidence in the minds of people.

After the outbreak of the dreaded virus in Maharashtra, poultry business in Karnataka, which enjoyed a daily turnover of Rs one crore, collapsed.

The Minister announced that the State Government was mulling providing eggs twice a week under the mid-day meal scheme for school children and milk to those who did not consume eggs.

Arrangements had been made to distribute chicken and egg dishes free to about 6,000 people.

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