The Group of Ministers, set up to monitor the lumpy skin disease in the state, on Tuesday urged the Union government to include it in the National Animal Disease Control Programme.
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema asked animal husbandry minister Laljit Singh Bhullar to seek an early appointment with Union minister Parshotam Rupala for this purpose. They said that vaccination against this disease should be made free on the lines of diseases like foot and mouth and brucellosis.
During the review meeting of prevention relief works here at Punjab Bhawan, Cheema, Bhullar and agriculture minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal were apprised that out of total 10.2 lakh doses of goat pox vaccine procured, around 9.1 lakh were administered to cattle so far, while 1.1 lakh doses were available with the department.
Apart from this, ₹1.32 crore has been disbursed for procuring other medicines and equipment for the prevention of the disease. The Group of Ministers asked the principal secretary, animal husbandry, to coordinate with the managing director of Milkfed to ensure vaccination of animals of dairy farmers registered with the institution.