The State government has suspended two veterinary officials of the district on the charge of resorting to irregularities in supply of sheep to shepherds.
In an official release here on Saturday, Minister for Animal Husbandry T Srinivas Yadav said they had suspended district veterinary and animal husbandry officer Kanthaiah and Rudrangi mandal veterinary officer Manohar Kumar as they had flouted government norms in distribution and transport of sheep to the beneficiaries in the district.
Official sources said the veterinary officials had reportedly purchased the sheep and lambs from Andhra Pradesh and distributed them among beneficiaries. As per the norms, the officials should distribute only adult sheep. But the beneficiaries were given lambs which were counted as adult sheep, and the formalities completed on the pretext of non-availability of sheep in the market in collusion with traders, they said.
Quoting an example, the sources said a beneficiary had contributed his share of ₹31,250 and was waiting to secure 20 sheep and one ram with government subsidy of 75 per cent. Officials took him to Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh and handed him over 12 sheep and nine lambs. Within a fortnight, five sheep died of an ailment in spite of spending ₹4,000 on their health care. Later, six lambs and four more sheep died of a disease. It was also alleged that the officials had failed to provide insurance amount to the beneficiary after the death of sheep.