Zero allocation for Swine Fever control prog in NE

RegionalZero allocation for Swine Fever control prog in NENEW DELHI AUG 23 IANS Publish Date 8232021 11151 PM ISTAmidst the deaths of lakhs of pigs due to the African Swine Fever ASF across the Northeastern states since May 2020 a Parliamentary Committee has found that the allocation for the year 2020-21 for the Classical Swine Fever Control Programme CSF-CP was zeroSwine Fever is one of the most important virus-borne diseases for the pigsAccording to World Organisation for Animal Health the 100 per cent fatal ASF is a viral haemorrhagic disease that infects pigs and wild boars With no cure or vaccine isolation or culling are the only ways to further prevent its spreadThe panel has said it is constrained to note that the sub-components on Professional Efficiency Development PED National Animal Disease Reporting System NADRS and Classical Swine Fever Control Programme CSF-CP show zero allocations for the year 2020-21The nil achievement of physical targets regarding vaccination doses to pigs in NE states under CSF-CP during 2020-21 and Zero Trainings conducted under PED during the years 2015-16 2016-17 and also during 2020-21 further add to the displeasure of the Committee the Parliamentary panel report has saidThe report pertaining to the Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying titled Status of Veterinary Services and Availability of Animal Vaccine in the CountryAccording to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Classical Swine Fever CSF is a major constraint to the development of pig farming in the Northeast part of the country where pig farming is a major source of livelihoodIn order to control the disease in pigs Central assistance is provided for vaccination against the CSFThe government scheme on Livestock Health and Disease Control LHDC was formulated with a view to provide financial assistance as the Central share to statesUTs for control and containment of animal diseases with a funding pattern of 6040 between the Centre and state 9010 for Northeastern Himalayan states and 100 per cent for UTsAccording to the National Livestock Census 2019 the total population of pigs in the country was 906 million a decline by 1203 per cent over the previous Census Of these Assam alone had 210 million pigsMeanwhile according to the President of the North East Progressive Pig Farmers Association NEPPFA Manoj Kumar Basumatary When pigs started dying last year in Arunachal Pradesh the government hardly kept any track The disease spread to Assam then This year it has spread to Mizoram and Meghalaya and the numbers rose from thousands to lakhsThe government does not have any estimate of pig deaths as it has not kept track of it However our Association estimates that of the 20-lakh odd pigs across Assam we have lost almost 10 lakh he claimedIncidentally the African Swine Fevers first casualty happened in Arunachal Pradesh in 2020 but the Livestock Census 2019 makes no mention of pig population in the stateThe panel chaired by Parvatagouda Chandanagouda Gaddigoudar also expressed concern to note the huge difference between figures on budgeted expenditure proposed and the budget allocated under the LHDC scheme from 2017-18 to 2021-22Against a proposed allocation of Rs 155303 crore the Department was allocated a mere Rs 29877 crore at the BE stage in 2017-18 and this trend of drastic reduction at the BE Stage has continued up to the year 2021-22 with allocated BE being Rs 37000 crore as against a proposed amount of Rs 90939 crore the Committee observedMoreover funds allocated at the Revised Estimate stage were further reduced from the years 2018-19 to 2020-21The panel expressed satisfaction over the total percentage expenditure of the funds allocated to the Department that has constantly been over 98 per cent from 2017-18 to 2019-20However it noted with discontent that under some sub-components of the LHDC Scheme nil financial progress and zero physical achievements have been made at some point during the period from 2015-16 to 2020-21The Committee further expressed utter dismay while taking note that no Veterinary HospitalsDispensaries were strengthened or established during the years 2017-18 and 2020-21Similarly nil achievements made regarding searching of villagestock routes during the years 2015-16 and 2017-18 the report saidThe panel recommended the Ministry of Finance to bear in mind the proposed allocation projected by the department and make fund allocations commensurate with its need so that important schemes and programmes do not suffer for want of fundsThe Committee also sought to be apprised of the actions taken by the department in this regard