Extract from the proceedings of the Chief Commissioner of Assam in the Revenue
Department, No. 2194R., dated the 24th September 1912.
READ—
The report of the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Assam, on the administration of
the Veterinary Department for the year 1911-12 and the review thereon of the Director,
Department of Land Records and Agriculture.
RESOLUTION.
The Chief Commissioner is much disappointed to find that the increased activity
of the Department has not been attended with a diminution in the mortality from
infectious diseases, the mortality from rinderpest being especially heavy. He is of
opinion that the insufficiency of the existing st,aff, defective reporting of local out-
breaks of disease, and defective communication of outbreaks of disease to threatened
localities, have been the principal causes of failure.
2. The sanctioned staff of Veterinary Assistants for the province consists of 49
officers, viz., 38 for plains subdivisions, at the rate of 2 per subdivision, 5 for hill
districts, 4 reserve and 2 staff. Of this number only 24 were actually employed
during the past year, as Local Boards have in not a few cases been unable or
unwilling to provide a second assistant. Since the close of the year some additions
have been made to the district staff, and the Chief Commissioner has determined
that steps shall be taken without delay to bring it up to full strength and also
to provide an adequate reserve staff. The heavy annual mortality from cattle-
disease constitutes a serious drain upon the resources of the people, and Sir
Archdale Earle would, therefore, impress upon Local Boards, which have not as yet
entertained two Veterinary Assistants, the necessity of doing so at once
Under
orders which have just issued, Local Boards will henceforth have power to appoint
both their Veterinary Assistants as itinerating officers instead of, as heretofore, one
as an itinerating and the other as a stationary officer. The Chief Commissioner is
prepared to grant the necessary financial assistance to any Boards which are unable to
engage the additional staff required owing to shortness of funds, and he has no doubt,
that he can rely upon the ready co-operation of the Boards generally in improving
the present system of dealing with infectious disease.
3. At present neither the District authorities, the Department, nor employers
of labour appear to receive timely notice of outbreaks of infectious disease. The
Director has accordingly been requested to submit for approval a scheme providing
for an efficient system of reporting outbreaks and of communicating warnings to
threatened areas.
4. A suggestion that medical officers employed by tea estates should be provided
with a stock of serum for use on the outbreak of epidemics of rinderpest is under
separate consideration.
5. Important questions relating to improvements in the breed of cattle,
the provision of grazing grounds, and the milk supply of towns are engaging the
attention of the Chief Commissioner.
ORDERED—That a copy of this Resolution, of the Report and the review- of the
Director, Department of Land Records and Agriculture, thereon be published for
general information.
By order of the Chief Commissioner of Assam,
W. M. KENNEDY,
Second Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Assam.