Chandigarh, Aug 19 (IANS) Punjab has been declared as "controlled area" after the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, confirmed African swine fever in swine samples from the state's Patiala, Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said on Friday.
He said a notification has been issued and came into force with immediately.
The minister said Bilaspur and Sanauri Adda villages in Patiala district were notified as the epicentre of the disease.
Bhullar said these areas have been declared "infected zone" (0-1 km area around epicenter of disease) and "surveillance zone" (1-10 km area around epicenter of disease).
Accordingly, no live or dead pig, including feral or wild pigs, unprocessed pig meat, feed or any material or goods from the piggery farm or backyard piggery shall be taken out of or brought into the infected zone and no person shall bring or attempt to bring into market any pig or pig products which is known to be infected with the scheduled disease.
The minister, quoting the notification, said inter-state movement of any pig or products should be strictly banned.
On receiving information about the incident, SP City Dinesh Kumar Singh, along with police force, reached the spot. The injured youths were sent to the hospital for treatment and the matter is being investigated.
The Chief Minister said the government is fully sensitive towards checking cross-border infiltration in Punjab. He said Punjab Police is constantly in touch with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies for this purpose.
While briefing the officers, the DGP said the topmost priority of the government, as directed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is to further strengthen the fight against drugs to make Punjab a drug-free state, besides eliminating the gangster culture, maintaining law and order, and detection of crime.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, whereas Rs 15,000 as immediate relief for the injured. He said free treatment would be provided to the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday carried out his first Cabinet expansion by inducting five legislators, including second-time MLA Aman Arora, into his council of ministers. The expansion came in less than four months of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sweeping to victory in the Assembly elections by winning 92 seats of the 117 seats.
The police have so far managed to nab four of the accused, including one woman, who have been identified as Gurjant Singh (31), Navjot Singh (30), Satpal Singh (28) and Gurpreet Kaur (30).
