J&K Govt constitutes multi-level committees for effective livestock health, disease control programme

Srinagar: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has ordered the constitution of Union Territory, District, and Block Level Committees to ensure effective implementation of the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, with a special focus on the Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) control campaign.

In an order issued by Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, the UT-level committee will be chaired by the Administrative Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, with the senior-most Director of Animal/Sheep Husbandry as the Member Secretary for one year on a rotational basis. The committee will meet at least once every two months and may co-opt members as needed.

The UT-level body has been tasked with overseeing FMD vaccination activities, developing strategic vaccination plans, ensuring preparedness, conducting awareness campaigns, managing cold chain logistics, training vaccinators, maintaining a vaccine bank, implementing disease surveillance, conducting outbreak investigations, and ensuring timely reporting to the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Government of India. It will also enforce animal movement control, ensure data uploading on the Bharat Pashudhan Portal, and coordinate with neighbouring states for simultaneous vaccination drives.

At the district level, committees headed by Deputy Commissioners will prepare and monitor micro-level vaccination plans, oversee cold chain audits, ensure adequate vaccine supply and manpower, conduct awareness drives, and investigate outbreaks. District-level data will also be uploaded to the Bharat Pashudhan Portal, with reports submitted to the UT-level committee, it reads.

Similarly, at the block level, committees chaired by Block Development Officers will prepare field-level vaccination plans, ensure vaccine availability, conduct cold chain audits, monitor performance up to the last mile, and report to the district committee. All levels will ensure proper biomedical waste disposal from the vaccination process.

These committees shall meet at regular intervals and ensure that the vaccination campaign is implemented effectively as per the guidelines issued by the Government of India, it reads.Proper coordination shall be maintained among all levels, and due adherence shall be given to vaccination timelines, surveillance protocols, and reporting requirements to achieve the objectives of the programme, reads the order.