North News
Chandigarh, November 8
Punjab’s Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries Minister, Gurmeet Singh Khudian, said on Friday that over 48 percent of the state’s livestock have been vaccinated against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) within just 18 days of the statewide mass immunisation campaign, which began on October 21.
Khudian said that five flying squads have been set up to monitor the effectiveness of the vaccination drive. Each squad is tasked with covering four to five districts, verifying immunisation data, and visiting livestock farms to ensure proper vaccination. Out of the 65,47,407 livestock in the state, over 31.48 lakh cattle have been inoculated by 816 teams from the Animal Husbandry Department. Khudian has directed officials to complete the vaccination process by November 30.
He also urged farmers to take full advantage of the free vaccination drive and protect their cattle from the disease. The Punjab Animal Husbandry Department has set up control rooms at both the state and district levels, with a dedicated helpline number, 0172-5086064, to assist livestock farmers.
Principal Secretary of Animal Husbandry, Rahul Bhandari, highlighted that the department has procured 55.86 lakh syringes and other logistics worth Rs. 1.08 crore for the smooth execution of the drive. He further assured that the vaccine is being provided free of charge, stressing the importance of maintaining the cold chain and educating farmers on the benefits of vaccination.
