Date:23/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/23/stories/2008032354810800.htm

National

Holi hits culling at Malda

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Holi celebration affected culling operations in Malda, where the State dairy farm witnessed avian flu outbreak. While 13,000 chickens were culled since the outbreak earlier this week, the figure dwindled to a fraction since Friday, as neither the culling team nor the households turned up during Holi.

Malda district magistrate Chittaranjan Das said the target of culling 44,000 birds would have to be completed by Monday. The government would pay the compensation for the killed birds as well as the one time relief of Rs. 500 a family.