8
Due to war there was a large influx of British and American troops in this
Province and also Indian soilders from other parts of India. The livestock of
this Province had been collected to provide a part of the diet of them. Therefore
a great responsibility has devolved upon the Civil Veterinary Department, Assam,
for the improvement of the Livestock of the Province. Though there is a separate
Department of Livestock in this Province under the Agriculture Department for
the welfare of the cattle by their breeding and feeding the Civil Veterinary
Department, Assam, has also got no less responsibility for them as it has to look
after the health and treatment of the animals. Civil Veterinary Department with
its limited staff and resources rendered invaluable service to the Livestock of this
Province. In many other Provinces in India Livestock and Veterinary Depart-
ment have been combined and formed into an Animal Husbandry Department
under the Veterinary control and the combined Department has been rendering
yeomen service to the dumb cattle population of the Provinces. Though the
Veterinary and the Livestock Department, are not amalgamated in this Province
on account of various obstacles, such as shortage of staff, etc., it can be easily
foreseen that in no distant time this obstacle can be easily surmounted, and the
combined Department can be formed. The combined Department will be able
to give valuable service to the cattle population of the poor Ryots, to most of
whom, a pair of Bullocks is the sole capital property.
55. The Department is short of staff. The Goat Tissue Vaccine which is
essentially required for the protection of cattle amongest Rinderpest, had to be
brought from outside provinces, such as Bengal, etc. On some occasions they
could not supply the quantity of vaccine actually required by us after meeting
their own demands. Rinderpest serum which also may be used as a substitute
for Goat Tissue Vaccine and which is indented for from the Indian Veterinary
Research Institute, Izatnagar could not be procured according to the need owing
to dislocation in Railway Service at times, perhaps, due to want of waggons. It
is Rinderpest alone which is the greatest enemy of the cattle population and
which alone is responsible for the heavy toll of deaths of the cattle population
of the Province and thus for making the helpless Ryots to be more helpless and
+victim to Mohajons (money lenders). There are no laws regulating the move-
ment of cattle in epidemic areas. The ignorant mass people do not co-operate
with the Veterinary staff as they should do in their work. Thus though the
Veterinary aid has been subject to a great handicap the Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, Assam, became successful in surmounting the difficulties and rendering
great service to the people of the Province.
56. The mass people are understanding day by day the utility of Veterinary
aid, which is evident from the reports of the Veterinary staff, as well as from the
requisition for Veterinary Dispensaries and Hospitals from all parts of the
Province—nay even from the remotest interior part of it. As already mentioned,
owing to the shortage of Veterinary Staff, the full aid in this respect is not being
given, but the Department is trying to fulfill their demand by getting more men
trained from the Veterinary Colleges of India.
57. During the year under review one Veterinary Dispensary was opened
at Nabiganj in the Sylhet District on 29th March 1946. The Department
appreciate the donation of one public spirited gentleman, Mvi. Anis Choudhury
of that locality in the form of free land and the buldings for the Veterinary
Dispensary there.
58. Investigation into the occurrence of Bovine Contagious Pleuro Pneumo-
nia in Assam was continued. From the result of the investigation it is found that
there is a tendency of the deasease to spread from one locality to another. The
reason for this is the movement of infected cattle without any restriction. The