Livestock census in J&K from October one

Srinagar, Sep 11 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir government would launch a state-wide census of livestock from October one, a senior official said today.

Animal Husbandry Department Deputy Director Farooq Ahmad Kaloo told UNI that about 4000 enumerators would be deployed across the state for data collection. There would also be more than 600 officials supervising the head count, he added.

Besides the head count of animals, Dr Kaloo said the enumerators from twin departments of Animal and Sheep Husbandry would collect information regarding people eking out a living out of the livestock based units and activities, water bodies, fisheries, fishermen, fishing equipment, agricultural implements, grazing lands, butchers, poultry farmers and traders during the month-long exercise.

The massive exercise would form a part of the 18th nationwide livestock census, he added.

Dr Kaloo said the census had started in 1919-20 and was being conducted every five years. Till 2003, it was conducted by the state Revenue Department, he said, adding that this year the 17th livestock census had been assigned to the Animal Husbandry Department.

Dr Kaloo said the census would cover both rural and urban areas with no household being left uncovered. No official deployed on data collection or processing duty would be allowed to part with the information collected from the people in any manner, he added.

Dr Kaloo said the information gathering would be fully coded to ensure that nobody was in a position to have access to any information or part thereof specific to a particular household.

The exercise was aimed at improving the lot of the people associated directly or indirectly with the livestock and fisheries activities, he added.

UNI