Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production (A-HELP) or ‘Pashu Sakhi’ programme will be launched at Uttanahalli village on the outskirts of Mysuru on September 26.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the programme — a Central government’s initiative for addressing the veterinary care of livestock in rural areas.
On the occasion, a new veterinary hospital that has come up at Uttanahalli will also be launched by the Chief Minister.
Giving details of the programme at a press conference here on Friday, September 22, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture K. Venkatesh said the State-level training programme will be conducted for ‘Pashu Sakhis’ and thereafter, the programme will be implemented across the State.
The Minister said the Chief Minister will also launch the fourth round of foot and mouth disease vaccination under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) for controlling the spread of the disease in cattle. The mission is to eradicate the disease by 2030.
Like how the ASHAs function in the healthcare sector, the Pashu Sakhis or the A-HELPs will work in the department, functioning in limits of gram panchayats with a monthly honorarium of ₹3,800, the Minister said.
Mr. Venkatesh said the fourth round of foot and mouth disease vaccination will be launched in every district on September 26 by the Ministers in charge of the respective districts.
Later, speaking to reporters, Mr. Venkatesh said there is no shortage of fodder as the department has a stock that can last for nearly seven months. Also, fodder seeds had been supplied free to farmers for cultivating fodder in their fields. A sum of ₹68 crore, including ₹40 crore from the Centre and ₹28 crore from the State, was spent on fodder cultivation.
When asked about the reports of transportation of fodder to neighboring States, he said the Deputy Commissioners of the border districts will be asked to check fodder transportation to neighboring States.
He said the State is on alert in view of the lumpy skin disease affecting the cattle population in the wake of a fresh outbreak of the disease in Maharashtra. Vaccination was being administered to cattle to control the spread.
The Minister said 400 veterinary officers are being appointed and 250 veterinary inspectors had been recruited.
