Panchkula: Haryana urban local bodies minister Kavita Jain held a meeting with Panchkula poultry farm owners on the issue of flies in the area. Administrative officials, who were part of the meeting, were asked to take strict action against poultry farm owners flouting government norms.
Jain has been taking up the issue in almost every public grievance meeting held in the mini-secretariat, Sector-1 in 2017. During the meeting, Jain said fly infestation is a major health hazard for local residents and strict action will be taken against poultry farm owners.
On September 12, 2017, she ordered closure of four
poultry farms in Barwala, Kami village and Sundarpur village for failing to follow guidelines. On April 28, 2016, the Panchkula administration issued notices to six poultry farms and on November 16, 2016, the administration registered an FIR (first information report) against a poultry farm located in Barwala for not following pollution control board (PCB) guidelines. Panchkula and Kalka MLA Gian Chand Gupta and Latika Sharma told the minister that they have been struggling to resolve the issue for the past three years but nothing concrete has been done.
Poultry farm owners were also sent to Hyderabad to get trained in operating poultry farms without causing inconvenience to residents but to no avail. Deputy commissioner Gauri Prasher Joshi told the minister that multiple meetings have been held with poultry farm owners and teams have also conducted raids but nothing has come of it.
Kalka MLA Latika Sharma said, "Surprise inspection is required at all poultry farms and strict action must be taken against defaulters."
President, district poultry farm association Darshan Singla said, "I will make a report of poultry farms not following guidelines issued by the administration in 15 days and submit it with officials concerned."
Jain said, "We are not in favor of closing down people's business. Instead, we are here to solve the problem faced by residents." Those who attended the meeting included additional DC Mukul Kumar, DCP Manbir Singh, SDM Pankaj Setia, CTM Mamta Sharma, district BJP president Deepak Sharma, among others.
