CBMs necessary to restore poultry business: Minister

Udupi, Karnataka, Mar 19 (UNI) Asserting that Karnataka was free from the dreaded bird flu virus, Medical Education and Animal Husbandry Minister Dr V S Acharya today stressed the need for reassurance and confidence building measures among the public to restore the collapsing poultry industry.

Inaugurating a techical interaction on bird flu, jointly organised by the district unit of Karnataka Veterinary Doctors' Association and the Dakshina Kannada Poultry Owners' Association here, he said no case of bird flu had been reported from any quarter of the State since the outbreak of the disease in Maharashtra. The Government continued to keep a watch on the situation and migratory birds, reviewing reports from all districts at 1500 hrs every day.

Allaying the fears of the public, the Minister clarified that the blood samples of the 1,200 chicken, which had recently died at Javali in Shimoga district, had tested negative for the virus. HPS virus, found in affected birds, cannot be transferred to humans by consuming eggs or chicken as the virus die during boiling. The ban on transportation of chicken and eggs had been lifted, he noted.

Stating that the scare had affected poultry business, which had an annual turnover of Rs 1,200 crore in the State, for the last one month, Dr Acharya said the State Government had decided to provide compensation to culled chicken. However, the Government was helpless to provide any compensation to the poultry owners due to the collapse of the market. The time was ripe to provide subsidy to poultry owners, as promised by the erstwhile Government in 1995-96.

On staff shortage in the Animal Husbandry department, he said 517 veterinary doctors' posts remained vacant and the Government had taken steps to fill 250 vacancies during the first week of April through counselling. Notification had also been issued for filling the remaining vacancies, he added.

Karnataka Veterinary and Fisheries Sciences University Vice- Chancellor Prof R N Srinivasa Gowda said the scare had badly affected the Indian poultry market with an annual turnover of Rs 36,000 crore, providing ten lakh direct and two lakh indirect jobs.

However, the Union Government was ready to tackle the eventuality.

UNI MA GD TS1654