laboratory of the West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation Limited (WBLDCL) was inaugurated in Siliguri on Friday. The facility will conduct different types of tests related to animals hitherto not available here because of lack of such a lab.
Minister for state animal resources development department Swapan Debnath, tourism minister Gautam Deb, and North Bengal Development minister Rabindranath Ghosh inaugurated the laboratory and the north Bengal branch office of the WBLDCL set up at an estimated cost of Rs 216.06932 lakh.
They also inaugurated a 10-metric- ton cold storage (Rs 24.50 lakh) to supply frozen processed meat from Haringhata Farms, and a modern pig breeding farm (Rs 229.59789 lakh) at Mohitnagar in Jalpaiguri district, where around 1800 pigs would be produced.
The officials said the blood, urine, serum of animals would be tested in the lab that will be equipped with facilities like X-ray and ultrasound. The lab will be housed on the ground floor in the newly-built two-storey building along with the state animal health centre.
“This has become the second such laboratory in north Bengal,” said an official of the WBLDCL. It may be mentioned that a regional Disease Investigation Centre is located in Jalpaiguri.
The health centre has been functional with one temporary veterinary officer as no permanent veterinary doctor has been posted there despite the sanctioned post.
Mr Debnath said the permanent doctor would be posted at the health centre very soon. He said they were planning to introduce 30 mobile vehicles to sell fresh and processed meat from Haringhata Farms in Siliguri.
“Haringhata meats are available on wheels in other parts of the state. The products are sold in 50 e-rickshaws and we are planning to introduce sale of fresh and processed meats on 30 e-rickshaws here too,” Mr Debnath said.
Mr Deb said inaugurations of the facilities are important development for the region. Meanwhile, Mr Debnath said his department has acted against the supply of dead chickens across the state. “Department officials are collecting samples and keeping a close tab on the situation. We are taking necessary steps according to the provisions of the law,” he said.
Loudspeaker row
The use of loudspeakers at the government programme, however, kicked up a controversy. It may be recalled that loudspeakers have been banned on the town in view of the ongoing Higher Secondary and other examinations.
Minister Deb, however, chose not to speak on the microphone, and other speakers followed suit. Minister Debnath, however, said there is no controversy as the programme was organised in a secluded area and that the loudspeakers were in low volume.