Veterinary Biologicals at Palode to produce rabies vaccine

Thiruvananthapuram: Minister for Forests, Animal Husbandry and Zoos K. Raju announced in the Assembly on Monday that Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals at Palode would start producing vaccine for rabies.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Forest, the Minister said that Kerala did not have any institution manufacturing rabies vaccine. The State was dependent on vaccine supplied by private agencies. Hence, the decision to manufacture vaccine in the public sector.

Mr. Raju said that the Institute had completed its preparations for producing the vaccine and production would start soon.

He announced that the government would bring one lakh dairy farmers under cattle insurance this year. New units for production of cattle feed had been planned in the public sector.  None of the units in the public sector had increased prices of cattle feed while private manufacturers had increased prices by Rs. 200 per bag.

He demanded that Milma should bring down its margin in milk sales so that the dairy farmers could get at least Rs. 35 per kg of milk procured.

He said that some corruption charges related to Milma had been referred to Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau.

The Minister said that man-animal conflicts had increased because of increase in population of wild animals leading to shortage of food and water for them. Vigilance committee would be formed in localities facing threats from wild animals for taking timely action. Measures such as building of steel fences had been taken up.

He said that the government proposed to increase the compensation for death from attack of wild animals from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh.  Compensation for crop damage too would be increased.

He said that the government had not given any directive to evict post-1977 encroachers of forests though there is a Supreme Court order directing it to do so.

He also announced that the Thrissur zoo would be developed as model zoo on 356 acres.

After the Minister’s reply, the House passed the demands for grants.