OTHER DEPARTMENTS

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY DEPARTMENT

Functions : The primary role of the Animal Husbandry Department consists in extending veterinary aid and advanced animal husbandry activities. The veterinary aid is given by the veterinary aid centres by treating the ailing animals and birds, to protect them from contagious diseases. The husbandry activities include the improvement of breeds by various methods such as castration of the scrub bulls and underdeveloped bulls, improvement of the pure breeds by supplying bulls and cows under premium bull scheme and supplementary cattle breeding centre scheme. Besides, the department advises the people in hygienic methods of animal management and for propaganda purposes participates in the cattle and poultry shows and fairs held from time to time at various places in the State. Artificial insemination is also used to improve pure breeding and cross-breeding by supplying artificial insemination facilities to cultivators free of cost.

Organisation: At the State level, the department is headed by the Director of Animal Husbandry, Maharashtra State, Pune. The Sholapur district falls under Pune division and the District Animal Husbandry Officer who controls the animal husbandry activities is responsible to the Regional Animal Husbandry Officer, Pune, in technical matters and for other matters he is responsible to the Agriculture Officer of the Zilla Parishad. The Animal Husbandry Officer of the Zilla Parishad is assisted by a District Veterinary Officer, Veterinary Officer, Veterinary Extension Officers, Livestock Supervisors and the other necessary staff.

Veterinary institutions: A chain of ten veterinary dispensaries and 42 veterinary aid centres and two veterinary hospitals has been established throughout the district. The ratio of the existing units is 1: 35404 to the cattle and poultry population. As this ratio is below the norm suggested by the National Commission on Agriculture, it is proposed to establish 26 additional veterinary aid centres in the Fifth Plan with an outlay of Rs. 12.90 lakhs so that effective programme for controlling the disease can be executed. All these institutions are under the control of the Zilla Parishad except the Polyclinic which is under the State sector. All the institutions are under the charge of Veterinary Officers who are concerned with the treatment of sick animals and other animal husbandry development schemes at their respective head-quarters. The Extension Officers are mainly concerned with the extension work of this department which they execute by carrying out propaganda work and by giving guidance to the Livestock Supervisors in charge of veterinary aid centre. The function of the Livestock Supervisors is to give treatment to the sick animals and carry out other usual work in their jurisdiction.

The work done by the veterinary aid centres and veterinary dispensaries during the Fourth Plan period was as under:-

There were two poultry demonstration centres at Sholapur and Sangola, giving demonstrations in rearing of poultry on scientific lines and economic basis to the cultivators. During the year 1968-69 these centres supplied 3,299 birds and 759 hatching eggs to the poultry farmers and ninety persons were trained under the scheme. Three blocks in the district are under applied nutrition programme. Under the crash programme, 85 interested cultivators were given loans of Rs. 1,000 each with Rs. 250 as a subsidy. Similarly nineteen others were granted loans of Rs. 5,000 each.

The district has eight supplementary sheep breeding and four sheep and wool extension centres supplying improved Deccani rams to the shepherds for breeding purposes and interested shepherds are trained in scientific sheep rearing and protection.

There is a District Artificial Insemination Centre at Kurduwadi and sixteen sub-centres are attached to it.

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