Kuttanad farmers present inflated bird flu stats

Alappuzha: Some duck farmers of Kuttanad have gained huge compensation by inflating the number of ducks culled following the outbreak of bird flu, it is alleged. This has been done in collusion with the officials as the district administration has no mechanism to verify the list of the affected ducks provided by the  animal husbandry department,  it is said. Chief Minister Pinarayi  Vijayan  had informed the Assembly on Thursday that there were  flaws in the distribution  of compensation in 2014.     

A duck farmer at Pongepadam near Alappuzha, whose ducks were affected by H1N5 virus a couple of years ago,  is still on the list of  AHD  for compensation. He had told DC on Tuesday, when  the reports on the return of avian flu appeared,  that none of his ducks had been affected.  However, he now says the officials recorded the death of 3,000 of his ducks in Thakhazi, where he reared the flock this time. Originally hailing from Thalavady, Kuttanad,  he claims that 1,500 ducks had died before the H1N8 was confirmed and that the response teams culled 1,500 ducks which showed symptoms. 

He was the largest beneficiary of the compensation given  in 2014 when he got Rs 51.20 lakh  for the loss  of 25,640 ducks. “We no longer accept these kinds of lists prepared by tainted officials,”  says Mr Bency  Thomas, joint secretary, All-Kerala Duck Farmers Society.  The case of the above farmer  is the tip of the iceberg.  The  government relies on the list prepared by officials. This should be changed. The list should be  cross-checked to find any malpractices,” he pointed out.  

In 2014,  the government had announced a compensation of  '200 per duck and  1.5 lakh ducks were culled across Kuttanad. This time, the district administration has culled at least 7,816 ducks by  Thursday with the same amount of compensation. Meanwhile, Teams of Rapid Response Force (RRF), jointly set up by the district administration, the Animal Husbandry Department and the Health Department culled as many as 7,314 infected ducks at various places in Kuttanad on Friday. The culling would continue in the coming days as well, according to sources.   In Kottayam, 1,975 ducks died due to suspected bird flu on Friday, according to the data of the district Animal Husbandry Department.