Veterinary scam; Immature bulls imported from Australia!

GUWAHATI, April 8: The State Veterinary Department allegedly procured a dozen of immature jersey bulls from Australia of which 50 per cent are of genetically sub-standard quality, said knowledgeable circles here. However, the 58 heifers procured under the same project from the same country are comparatively better, though one of the heifers died at Chennai, the sources said. The cattle were imported from Australia under the ongoing Livestock Development Component (LDC) project sponsored by the World Bank. The cattle have been procured to set up one bull mother farm and two semen production centres for supporting artificial insemination activities in eleven districts of the State. Considering the condition of the bulls, which are yet to attain maturity, it can be assumed even by any experienced cattle handler that at least for the next one year these bulls will not help in any way collection of semen from them, said the sources. It is worth mentioning here that there was a lot of controversy over the procurement of jersey cattle from Australia by the Veterinary Department this time and the Department has in the meantime constituted two committees to go into the alleged irregularities that affected the implementation of the World Bank-sponsored scheme. However, knowledgeable circles here said that the two committees constituted by the Department are viewed by several circles here as mere attempts at covering up the irregularities. In case the committees make any bid to shield the guilty persons some circles will certainly move the court this time seeking judicial intervention to bring all the guilty persons to book, the sources warned. Meanwhile, about 35 of the imported cattle, after a month in quarantine at Chennai, have reportedly reached Government Livestock Farm Barapetta and the rest are also expected to reach the Farm within a day or two, the sources said.