Sale of poultry products to continue

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 23

The UT Administration has deferred the decision to impose a ban on the sale of poultry products in the city after the UT Health Department today suggested that before imposing a ban, the administration should wait for the reports of samples of birds collected from poultry farms.

Earlier, there was a proposal to impose a ban on the sale of poultry products in the city.

Confirming the development, UT Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shayin said health officials have suggested to wait for the reports. Therefore, the UT Administration is not imposing any ban on the sale of poultry products in the city.

The UT Administration would wait for final reports. Then only, it would decide the next course of action, he said.

Darshan Singla, president of the Barwala Poultry Farm Association, said it was a welcome step by the UT Administration.

Chandigarh gets its supply of chicken and eggs from poultry farms at Barwala, Rajpura, Zirakpur, Kharar and Mullanpur. Nearly 40,000 eggs come to the city from Barwala and around 18,000 eggs from Rajpura, Zirakpur, Kharar and Mullanpur.

Besides, there are four private poultry farms in Chandigarh — two in Daria village and one each in Kishangarh and IT Park, Mani Majra.

The Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO), Industrial Area, Phase I, supplies nearly 3,000 eggs and 500 chickens to the city.

According to the UT Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department, there are 131 cocks, 51,527 hens and 77,025 chickens in the city.