Over 11,700 bird flu samples tested;
Reliefs for industry

     New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry today said that over 11, 700 samples of bird flu have been tested at the High Security Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal since the virus was first detected in Maharashtra's Navapur and Uchchhal sub-districts on February 18. Both ministries further said that four samples of avian flu picked up from four Jalgaon District villages had tested positive, thus necessitating that surveillance be enhanced in Jalgaon and Burhanpur Districts. Of the 96 samples picked up in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, eight samples have tested positive. Seven of these eight samples were from six villages in Jalgaon District, while one sample was from the Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh. Control and containment operations have been initiated in the villages of Varad, Paldhi Khurd,Bhadgaon, Parola, Erandol, Uttaran,and Ichhapur. Birds within a radius of 10 km. from each of these seven villages are in the process of being culled, and officials said the culling operation will commence tomorrow.

    Meanwhile, the Government and the Reserve Bank of India have announced the following bird flu-related reliefs to the poultry industry:

(i) A one-time reduction of four percentage points in the interest payment liability on the bank loans of all types taken by the poultry units. This amount will be directly credited to the accounts.

(ii) A moratorium of one year on payment of principal and interest due to all banks in respect of all loans to poultry industry. (iii)Conversion of working capital into term loan payable over three years.

(iv) Reschedulement of term loans availed by poultry units over an additional period of two years from the agreed tenure of the loan.

(v) Sanction of additional working capital, and

(vi) Barring wilful default, defaulted accounts not to be treated as NPAs.

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