The Hindu : Karnataka News : Veterinary vaccines to be supplied free

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 01, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Veterinary vaccines to be supplied free

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, DEC. 31. The State Government has decided to supply to farmers free of cost 12 types of vaccines administered to cattle and livestock. A Government Order, which will come into effect on Saturday, will ensure that all vaccines, barring those for foot-and-mouth disease and the anti-rabies vaccine, will be supplied free, the Animal Husbandry Minister, Mirajuddin Patel, said here today.

He told presspersons that within a fortnight, another order will be issued to supply these two vaccines without any charge. This has become possible as the Centre has increased the subsidy on vaccines from 50 per cent to 75 per cent. The State Government has been giving 25 per cent subsidy and farmers have been paying only 25 per cent of the cost of the vaccines. With the Central subsidy going up, there is no need to charge the farmers, Mr. Patel pointed out.

The Governor, T.N. Chaturvedi, will lay the foundation stone for the Bidar Veterinary University on January 17. The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, the Union Minister of State for Planning, M.V. Rajashekaran, will attend the ceremony, Mr. Patel said.

The State Government has allocated Rs. 6.25 crores in the budget for the veterinary university, and funds will be sought as the project progresses, the Minister said.

Milk prices

The decision on increasing the price of milk is now left to milk unions and federations, who are fixing the price depending on the quantity, quality and fat content of milk. Where milk supply is plentiful as in Kolar, milk with 18 per cent fat fetches Rs. 8 a litre. In some districts, where the fat content is 25 per cent, the price is Rs. 11 a litre.

Hospitals

The Government plans to upgrade 127 veterinary hospitals and increase supply of medicines. As part of the move, animal disease diagnostic laboratories are being set up in all taluks.

In the first phase, 45 laboratories will come up at a total cost of Rs. 1.25 crores. There is a budgetary allocation of Rs. 5.5 crores for purchase of medicines.

Vacancies

The process of promotions and filling up vacancies — those under the roster system and backlog vacancies — is going on. Of the 852 veterinary doctors' vacancies, applications have been called for to fill vacancies under the roster system. There are about 4,800 vacancies in the department.

Fodder

Mr. Patel said the scheme to distribute five lakh "fodder-seed kits" to farmers in each taluk is being implemented to help them recover from the previous years' drought.

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