Former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday said the Punjab government should give the dairy farmers compensation of at least Rs 50,000 for each animal that died due to lumpy skin disease.
The Shiromani Akali Dal MP from Bathinda also urged Union Animal Husbandry Minister Parshottam Rupala to send Central teams to Punjab for effective monitoring and vaccination of animals.
She accused the AAP government in Punjab of not doing the needful as hundreds of animals have died while thousands of cattle have been affected by this disease. According to an animal husbandry department official, more than 2,100 cattle have died while over 60,000 have been affected by lumpy skin disease so far in Punjab.
"Lumpy skin disease is ravaging livestock in Punjab. Hundreds of bovines have died and thousands are severely infected by this contagious disease that is causing enormous economic loss to our farmers and dairy owners. Unfortunately, AAP-led Punjab govt has failed to do the needful," Badal said in a tweet.
"I request Union minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairying P Rupala to send central teams for effective monitoring and vaccination of animals. Meanwhile, CM Bhagwant Mann should release a minimum compensation of Rs 50,000 per animal to mitigate the burden on rearers," she said.
Lumpy skin disease infects cows and buffaloes mainly through vectors like blood-feeding insects. It leads to the formation of nodes on the animal's skin or hide that look like lumps, fever, runny nose, reduced milk yield and difficulty in eating.
Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been hit by the outbreak of the disease. The first confirmed case of lumpy skin disease was reported on July 4 in Punjab. The outbreak has mainly affected cows with Fazilka, Muktsar, Bathinda and Tarn Taran being the worst-affected districts in the state.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had formed a three-member group of ministers to monitor and control the spread of the infectious disease. More than 1.85 lakh cattle have already been administered doses of goat pox vaccine to check the spread of lumpy skin disease.
(With PTI Inputs)
