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The US consulate in Kolkata announced the decision on Thursday.
The fund will be used to support technical assistance to the Union and state governments’ communication programmes to prevent the further spread of bird flu. USAID will partner with UNICEF, the Central government and the state governments concerned to implement the programme.
The USAID office in New Delhi, however, could not give a statewise break-up of how the funds would be disbursed. “The grant has just been announced. It will be disbursed on a ‘as-needed basis’ soon,” said Officer-in-Charge of communications at the USAID office in New Delhi, Heather Sullivan.
According to the director of the American Center in Kolkata, Douglas Kelly, USAID would be closely monitoring the funds that it disburses and their use.
State animal resource department minister Anisur Rehman said the Union government will decide whether the state government will accept the grant.
“We would consider it if there is any technical help involved, provided the Government of India clears such a proposal,” Rehman told The Indian Express.
Till date, the state government has allotted Rs 19.66 crore to district magistrates to be used for compensating the affected families.
Chicken spotted in notified area, ARD team sent to Murshidabad
The Animal Resources Development department has sent a team of officials to Murshidabad after receiving reports that chicken have been spotted in notified areas where culling has already taken place. ARD Minister Anisur Rahaman said officials are looking into the reports received from the notified areas. “We have not restarted culling operations. It is possible that some birds are alive because people didn’t produce them before the culling teams,” Rahaman said.
He said the affected families will be given the compensation money in the coming week. The distribution will begin in Murshidabad on Sunday, followed by Nadia and Howrah.
The department has said while the spread of bird flu is under control, disinfecting the premises where they are kept and cleaning operations are on in the notified areas.
The department is considering various measures that can be taken to tackle bird flu in future. Talks are on with the Union government in this regard. The proposals include vaccination of birds and ban on rearing of poultry along the Bangladesh border. The ideas will be discussed in a workshop before any proposal is given the shape of a guideline. On Friday, the department offered grants to 13 farms for meeting bird rearing and egg-production targets. Twelve farms were given Rs 5 lakh each and one was offered around Rs 3 lakh. Farms that can rear over 10,000 birds for egg production can avail of this grant.
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