TIMES NEWS NETWORKUdupi: Raising concern over the sharp decline in the district’s livestock population, Byndoor MLA Gururaj Shetty Gantihole has directed the animal husbandry and veterinary sciences department to undertake an in-depth studyand implement innovative measures to prevent further decline.The state’s livestock census is conducted every five years. The recently published 21st Livestock Census report for Udupi district shows a steep 23% decline in cattle and buffalo numbers, falling from 2.6 lakh five years ago to 2 lakh now, he said at a meeting with officials at all levels, at the Byndoor Veterinary Hospital to discuss various departmental schemes and matters related to project implementation.The MLA said that the public has been complaining about the unavailability of medicines for livestock treatment at various veterinary centres. He said that a lack of basic medicine indicates a failure on the part of the department. He directed officials to pay attention to this issue, and ensure that there is no shortage of medicine under any circumstances.He also pointed out that the number of insured livestock is low compared to the total population in the constituency. Out of approximately 72,000 cows in the area, only 15,000 are covered by insurance. He directed officials to take necessary steps to bring all rural income-generating livestock under insurance coverage, to ensure that dairy farming families receive necessary compensation in the event of accidental death of their animals.70% staff shortageThe MLA highlighted a 70% staff shortage across all cadres in the department, including veterinary officers, livestock officials, and junior/senior veterinary inspectors, which is directly impacting the care and protection of livestock. The MLA said that he would appeal to the govt regarding this again, and if the situation does not improve, he is prepared to protest alongside dairy farmers. He instructed the deputy director to take necessary steps to fill all vacant posts that can be filled at the district level, and to submit an immediate report on staff shortages to the department.Regarding recent reports in a section of the media, about the death of wild boars in the forest areas of several villages, the MLA instructed to obtain the report as quickly as possible, and to coordinate with the forest, health, and localadministrative departments to find a solution to the problem.
