Bird flu hit chicken farmers to get Rs 500 each

The West Bengal government today announced a rehabilitation package for poultry owners affected by bird flu.

However, a substantial amount of assistance was dependent on Central assistance, yet to be finalised.

The total losses due to the outbreak had been estimated to be around Rs 150 crore, to be met through subsidy and loans to the affected families, said Asim Dasgupta, finance minister of West Bengal, at a press conference where the state animal husbandry minister Anisur Rahman and health and family welfare minister Surjya Kanta Mishra were also present.

The state promised to give Rs 500 to every family whose poultry has been affected by bird flu, entailing an expense of Rs 25 crore. In this regard, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya would urge the Central government to share 50 per cent of the expenditure, informed Dasgupta. The state would appeal to the Centre a total waiver of loan for poultry farmers below the poverty line.

For others, it decided to convert existing loans, taken for the purpose of poultry, into long term loans, so that farmers did not have to repay them immediately.

About 5 lakh households were affected by bird flu in 11 districts till now. Nearly 22 lakh birds were suspected to be infected by the bird flu virus, representing 4 per cent of the total chicken population of 6 crore in the state.

In addition, the state has sought another Rs 8.50 crore from the Central government immediately for compensating the poultry owners during culling operations. Around Rs 3.50 crore has already been released by the Centre so far for the purpose.

The state government released Rs 8.50 crore for culling operations, expected to end on January 28, 2008.

So far about 15 lakh birds had been culled while 1.25 lakh birds died due to bird flu.

"During the culling, as per the Centrally-sponsored scheme, the expenditure should be shared on a 50:50 basis. The state government has released Rs 8.5 crore and Centre has released Rs 3.50 crore so far. We expect another Rs 5 crore from the Centre," said Dasgupta.

For fresh poultry farming after three months, the state has promised to arrange soft loans, with 50 per cent subsidy component.

The remaining amount will be treated as loan at 4 per cent interest rate.

Also, the state would provide outright grant for chicken farming for people poverty line in self help groups.

In this regard, it demanded 50 per cent subsidy on poultry feed from the Central government.

"Among the affected families, a large number of are from the below poverty line who have formed self help groups. We would give them outright grant for fresh chicken farming. For poultry feed, we will ask the Central government to give 50 per cent subsidy, as done in case of Maharashtra in the 2006 bird flu outbreak," Dasgupta said.

The state would also urge the Centre to give jobs to the affected poultry farmers under the the National rural employment guarantee programme (NREGP).