80,000 birds culled, Rs 20 lakh compensation in preventive culling

Guwahati, Mar 5 (UNI) Almost 80,000 chickens and ducks were culled and more than Rs 20 lakh given as compensation to the affected the people in Assam during the preventive culling undertaken to avert outbreak of bird flu.

State Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Minister Khorsing Ingti informed the Assembly today that though no bird flu case was reported in the state, preventive culling was undertaken in Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts, bordering West Bengal.

In replies to separate questions in the House, Mr Ingti informed that altogether 50,640 birds were culled in Kokrajhar and 29,069 birds in Dhubri, with the total figure being 79,709 in the two districts. As much as Rs 20,50,210 was given away as compensation, of which Rs 13,61,260 was given in Kokrajhar and Rs 6,88,950 in Dhubri.

On the number of animals that had died after being afflicted by anthrax, Mr Ingti informed that total 373 animals had died of anthrax between 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Of these, the maximum 151 animals died in 2002-03 and 106 in 2004-05, while no animals died of the disease in 2005-06.

UNI SG DPM RD MS RN1529