Orissa restriction on purchasing chicken from other states

BHUBANESWAR: With the beginning of culling operations in bird flu-hit Assam, Orissa government on Saturday asked district collectors of the border districts to ban tranportation of chicken and other poultry items from neighbouring states, official sources said.
    
The instruction was issued by the Fisheries and Animal Resource development department secretary to the concerned officials as part of the state's preparedness to meet the possible outbreak of avian flu.
    
Though there was no report of bird flu being reported from any part of the state, the government asked the transport commissioner to set up special squad to keep a tab on the movement of poultry items from other states.
    
The government had also asked the district level veterinary authorities to ensure immunisation of poultry and formation of quick response teams so that they could immediately intervene, if required.
    
The government also decided to set up a state-level squad to monitor the development in others states.
    
Though bird flu broke out in neighbouring West Bengal last year, Orissa had remained unaffected.