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.
The appeal was made by Modi, while making a statement following talks with the Danish Prime Minister in Copenhagen, where he reached on the second leg of his three-nation European tour.
Speaking at a meeting of the PLC candidates who contested the recent Assembly elections in Punjab, he said given the geopolitical situation previaling in the world in view of the Russia-Ukraine war, the country needs a stable, mature and strong leadership, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is providing.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also argued that the mercy petition cannot be decided until the appeals filed by other convicts in the case before the apex court are not disposed of. Also, Rajoana has not challenged his conviction or sentence, either before the high court or the Supreme Court
Earlier, four persons, including two Afghanistan nationals, were arrested by the NCB. The fifth accused Shamim Ahmad was arrested from from Laxmi Nagar. A person called Shahid controlled the hawala racket of Dubai. Seeing that Shamim had good links with middlemen working in Dubai, Shahid included him in his gang.
Conceding the proposal of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department to introduce home delivery of atta under National Food Security Act (NFSA), the entire state has been divided into eight zones and the service will commence in one zone in the first phase, in two zones in the second phase, and in the remaining five zones in the last and third phase.
A decision to this effect was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said the posts belong to Group A, B and C. Major departments include Home Affairs, School Education, Health, Power and Technical Education.
