Himachal Animal Husbandry Minister Anil Sharma on Friday emphasized the need to strengthen veterinary institutions, especially veterinary polyclinics and sub-divisional hospitals in the State. He directed the department to ensure providing artificial insemination services through each and every regular veterinary institution by the end of current year.
Presiding of a meeting of the District Officers of the Animal Husbandry department here, he said from this year onwards, the vaccination against contagious disease would be done through a campaign by fixing date which would be uniform in any calendar year.
The main focus of the meeting was to review the various activities of the department and to finalize the strategy for overall development of the animal husbandry sector for the benefit of the farmers of Himachal Pradesh.
The Minister appreciated the efforts made by the department for making the reporting of various progressive returns from the field institutions in online mode through software developed for the same. He said 275 Veterinary Officers were being trained for making use of this software which would ensure effective planning and decision making in the department. The online reporting of online progressive returns would be made mandatory, he said. Sharma said liquid nitrogen plants would be made functional at Solan, Mandi, Tal and Jeori this year and artificial insemination services would be started in 350 more institutions during the financial year. He said technological up-gradation of existing poly-clinics and introduction of concept of self- sustainable institutions through society mode would be taken up shortly.
The laboratory for starting artificial insemination in sheep would be made functional and cold chain facilities in the form of Cold Rooms and refrigerated vans would be created.
He said the ETT lab, Palampur would be fully operational by March, 2017 and immunization programme will be taken up in a campaign form with days of the vaccination fixed for ensuring maximum and effective coverage. Secretary, Animal Husbandry Onkar Sharma said that to streamline the functioning of the department, some posts would be restructured. He said that the awards would be given to the best performing officers and officials to appreciate their contribution to the department. Director Animal Husbandry R.K. Anand informed that the department had started the process for filling up posts of 238 Veterinary Pharmacists.