Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today announced sops for veterinary doctors and those involved in animal husbandy during his tour of Krishna District. Addressing an interaction programme with veterinary students and farmers in the premises of NTR College of Veterinary Sciences, at Gannavaram, about 20 KM from here, he announced the enhancement of stipend for post graduate students of veterinary science to Rs 7,000 and to Rs.5000 to veterinary sciences graduate students. He also announced the sanction of Rs.50 lakh to complete the super specialty veterinary hospital being constructed and Rs.3 crore for the construction of a seminar hall and hostel building in the NTR Veterinary Science Campus at Gannavaram.
Asking the veterinary students not to depend on solely on jobs, he advised them to search for other alternatives like starting dairy farms. At the same time, he assured all veterinary doctor posts would be filled. The Chief Minister felt rearing cattle,horticulture, fish farming and poultry would provide additional benefits to the farmers and hence the government had enhanced the allocation to animal husbandry to Rs.900 crore. The government had plans to club the Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Fisheries Departments together in the coming years in a derive the maximum benefits for farmers. He said Rs.6000 crore had been earmarked to extend loans to encourage small dairy farms with the help of NABARD and over 25 lakh families had benefited so far,under the scheme.
APCC President Botcha Satyanarayana, State Ministers K Parthasarathi and T Narasimham, MPs Kavuru Sambasiva Rao and Lagadapati Rajgopal were among those present. UNI