BJP MLA, Union minister corner Raj govt over lumpy virus scare

Jaipur, Sep 21 (IANS) With videos showing cow carcass spread over a vast stretch of land with vultures flying over them going viral on social media, a BJP MLA and a Union minister on Wednesday questioned the state government over the lumpy skin disease scare and its impact on cattle.

While BJP MLA Chandrabhan Singh questioned a state minister on the criteria adopted to count the dead cows on the floor of the Assembly, Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Sanjeev Balyan, said that of the 18.50 lakh cows infected in the country, Rajasthan alone accounts for 12.50 lakh such cows.

"It won't be wrong to say that two-third of the sick cows in the entire country are in Rajasthan," Balyan said.

In the Assembly, Chandrabhan Singh asked state Animal Husbandry Minister Lalchand Kataria if it is true that lumpy virus is spreading rapidly in the state.

"How many cows have suffered in the last five months and how many have died," he asked, adding that as per official statistics, over 50,000 cows have died.

"What is the basis of this number? Has any survey being conducted? Will the owners of the dead cows get financial aid like in Bihar and Odisha," Singh asked.

Replying to this, Kataria said, "The data has been collected by the officials in the agriculture department, patwaris and others."

Balyan, who was in Dausa on Wednesday, said, "Central teams have visited Rajasthan five times since the outbreak of lumpy skin disease in cattle. It is my responsibility to fulfil Rajasthan government's demand for medicines and vaccines, and I will do that. But it is the responsibility of the state government to work on the ground, which should be done. The central teams are also collecting facts by visiting the different affected areas. Now the only work left is to treat and serve the infected cows."

On state government's demand to declare lumpi virus as a national calamity, Balyan said, "First the Chief Minister of Rajasthan should be asked whether he has declared the disease as an epidemic in the state. If the Rajasthan government looks at the Prime Minister for every work that is needed to be done, why did the people make him (Ashok Gehlot) the Chief Minister? One can expect help from the Centre, but here everything is thrown into the Centre's court," he said.

"The Chief Minister is showing interest in Delhi's politics, but now there is a need to work on the ground," Balyan added.