Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, today ceremoniously launched 17 mobile veterinary units (MVUs) at a programme held at Mahendraganj, South West Garo Hills.
The mobile units have been facilitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help rural farmers and their animals, said the minister while addressing the programme organised by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department.
“We have dedicated 17 MVUs to Meghalaya. Ninety percent of their expenditure will be borne by the government of India. In the entire state, the veterinary facilities will be available at the doorstep of the people. One has to just dial 1962 and an MVU will reach your doorstep,” Rupala said.
Each van or mobile veterinary clinic comes with all necessary equipment required for treatment of animals and will have one doctor, a paramedic and driver.
With the help of these MVUs, officials of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department will be able to conduct vaccination, artificial insemination and all kinds of treatment for sick animals, Rupala added. He later flagged off the vans at Garobadha on his departure from South West Garo Hills.
The Union minister praised the efforts of the state officials for managing the developmental works at the grassroots. He specifically mentioned the Fisheries Department for increasing fish production in the district, adding that Meghalaya will be able to export fish, with the area also having potential in poultry and dairy.
“I visited and inspected the dairy farm near Tura. It is an old one. Time has changed and it needs to be upgraded. The cooperative model should be adopted to help dairy farmers and they, in turn, should cooperate with the local administration and avail the benefits from the schemes of the central government,” Rupala said.
He also said that border villages are being prioritised under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
On the second day of his visit to the district, the Union minister undertook a whirlwind tour to various field projects in the district. He visited the Indo-Bangladesh border haat at Kalaichar and inspected the border fencing along the 38km border with Bangladesh. He interacted with the Border Security Force (BSF) jawans, BSF officials, officials of the Border Areas Development Department and members of the Border Haat Committee who raised issues like lack of basic amenities and infrastructure for traders in the market.
Rupala was also impressed by the maintenance of Aqua Park at Jolgaon by fish farmers and Taljawa lake at Kumligaon, which have been created with the assistance of central and state schemes through community effort. Earlier, he also paid a visit to Kamakhya Temple at Thakuranbari and interacted with local communities, self-help groups, etc at Monabari and Kodaldhowa villages.
