Staff crunch hits animal care in Cuttack

CUTTACK: Acute  shortage of staff has crippled the veterinary services in district. While the district has 211 livestock aid centres to deliver the veterinary services, as many as 114 centres do not have livestock attendants who usually play a crucial role in field survey and other works at the village level. of 96 sanctioned posts of livestock inspector, 36 posts are lying vacant. similarly, of the total 59 veterinarian posts sanctioned for the district, 15 are lying vacant.

This apart, the post of subdivisional veterinary officer has been lying vacant in Banki for the last several months. As a result, farmers who come to the centres in the hopes of getting their cattle or any other animal treated have to return disappointed in the absence of vets.

The shortage of veterinarians, livestock inspectors and attendants has also affected the animal vaccination programme and the national Livestock Mission in the district. on December 3, Chief Minister naveen Patnaik had launched 15 online services of Fisheries and Animal resources Development department under the 5T initiatives.

But non-filing up of the vacancies has left the service delivery system in a quandary. Due to staff crunch, livestock owners are forced to depend on private veterinary practitioners, farmers alleged. Chief district veterinary officer keshab Chandra Pradhan said steps are being taken for filling up the vacant posts.