Punjab set up group of ministers to monitor lumpy skin disease
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Aug, 2022 10:28 AM
Chandigarh, Aug 10 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday announced to set up a group of ministers (GoM) for effective monitoring and control of lumpy skin disease among livestock on a day-to-day basis.
Sharing details after a high-level meeting to review the situation, the Chief Minister said the GoM comprising Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar would be assisted by experts from the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and officials from the animal husbandry department.
He said the GoM would daily review the situation and take necessary action for checking the spread of the disease.
Mann said the government is duty-bound to safeguard the interests of the cattle owners.
The Chief Minister also announced to launch a massive vaccination drive to save the animals from this disease. He said vaccines will be administered to the animals free of cost, adding that there is no dearth of funds for this.
Mann further said that the government has sealed the borders for checking the entry of animals from other states into Punjab.
He said the bordering districts of Fazilka, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda and Tarn Taran have been worst affected by the disease, which shows that the virus has been transmitted from other states.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday dismissed its four Sub-Inspectors after placing them under arrest for demanding Rs 25 lakh bribe from a businessman in Chandigarh threatening him of implication in a terror case. The accused officials were identified as Sumit Gupta, Pardeep Rana, Ankur Kumar, Akash Ahlawat, all posted in Delhi office.
The latest arrestee, identified as Abdul alias Raja, was found involved in allegedly orchestrating violence and also provoking the crowd to resort to stone pelting during the Hanuman Jayanti procession.
Addressing a high-level meeting here, the Chief Minister categorically said in case any incident of drug supply comes to his notice from any part of the state, then the concerned Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) or the Commissioner of Police (CP) would be held solely accountable.
Police sources said that the accident took place at Khandli in Rajouri, when a bus coming from Peeri to Rajouri collided with a tipper coming from the opposite direction.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Usha Rangnani, said a PCR call was received at 6.15 a.m. on Wednesday at the Mahendra Park police station, in which the caller, Shiv Kumar, reported shattering of window panes of vehicles by some Muslim boys.
Addressing a gathering here to hand over appointment letters to 2,373 youths after launching a massive recruitment drive to fill 26,754 posts, he wished that such functions - to give appointment letters to the youths - should be held regularly.
