JOIN US108-like ambulances to ferry animals
Addressing press persons after a review meeting with the veterinary department officials at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Friday, he said the Dhanvanthri services will be launched on an experimental basis in the State to extend emergency services to domestic animals. Observing the success rate, the services will be extended to all 174 taluks in the State,” the Minister said.
Briefing about the department’s programmes, Belamagi said the Government had spent about ` 616 crore to disburse ` two support price on every litre of milk for the dairy farmers.
About 6.41 lakh families benefited from the scheme across the state. The department has also shared the interest on the dairy and sheep farming loans raised by the farmers. Any interest rate above six per cent from banks and other institutions was being funded by the Government, he informed.
While, about 31,421 families have benefited from the Amrutha Yojane, incurring ` 33.69 crore for Government. The department has initiated to open a milk processing centre in Chikkaballapur at a cost of ` 10 crore. Also, the veterinary department has approved for establishing a Animal food processing unit at Shikaripur in Shimoga. The unit will have a capacity to produce 300 million tonnes food, he said. The Government has also released about ` one crore for the production of organic milk, he added.
The Minister disclosed that the process for hiring retired officers for 73 animal husbandry officers post on contract basis has been started. There are 821 students enrolled in four veterinary colleges, he stated.