6
TABLE IV.
No very great increase in the number of the staff employed can be shown
during the year. Fifty-one Itinerant Veterinary Assistants were on the roll on
the 1st of April, while 6 new graduates of the Veterinary College joined, and were
posted to Ramnagar, Motihari Sadr, Gaya Sadr, Gumla, Bhadrak and Jajpur,
bringing the total up to 57. Owing to two Assistants, Babu G. B. Mitter and
Maulavi A. Halim resigning, and another Amirullah Khan, who came from the
Punjab having had his services transferred to the Civil Veterinary Department,
United Provinces, and a fourth, Babu K. C. Chatterjee joining the Military
Department on the 1st of October, the number of Assistants at the end of the
year was 53 only, excluding the two Reserve Veterinary Assistants, who were
employed in Ranchi as Inspectors of Inoculators. Owing to the prevalence of
outbreaks, it was impossible to send any of them for training to Muktesar or to
Dairy Farms. The following Assistants worked satisfactorily :—
Babu B. L. Maitra, Jamalpur ; Maulavi E. H. Khan, Nawada; Babu R. N.
Pandit, Begusarai; Babu T. Singh, Bettiah; Babu P. C. Das, Bhagalpur; Babu
M. P. Pillai, Ghaibassa; Maulavi Mohammad Quasim, Madhubani ; Babu S. C.
Ray, Hajipur; Babu S. C. Prashad, Sitamarhi and Maulavi S. I. H. Akbari,
Gaya Sadr.
The Veterinary Assistants of Angul, Supaul, Araria, Ramnagar, Barh and
Buxar cannot be commended for their work. The Veterinary Assistant of
Samastipur, Babu C. P. Singh, was suspended for failing to attend villages
affected with Rinderpest, and to carry out inoculations during the outbreak in
Darbhanga. He also gave trouble when on deputation to Nawada.
Complaints were made against Babu B. Prashad of Sasaram by the Excise
Commissioner and he was punished ; later he retrieved his reputation by very
hard work in connection with the outbreak of rinderpest in Shahabad, where
a large number of inoculations were done by him. Veterinary Assistant, Babu
K. B. Lal, who was reinstated by the Director of Agriculture in 1915-16 is now
reported to be doing better work. He is in charge of the Bhabua Subdivision.
The number of cases treated during the year was 55,311 against 54,904 in
1915-16.
TABLE V.
There has been no change in the number of Veterinary Hospitals. The
Veterinary Assistant posted to Dumraon was transferred for unsatisfactory work,
and his successor A. Halim, a Lahore graduate who was taken into the Depart-
ment in August 1915, also caused trouble, and left his post when deputed for
inoculation duty to Sasaram. Since then the Hospital has remained closed, and
no returns have been submitted in consequence.
None of the suggested improvements to the Bankipur or Purnea Hospitals,
nor the new buildings at Muzaffarpur, have been completed during the year
owing to lack of funds. The hospital at Supaul was opened, but is still in
charge of the Itinerant Veterinary Assistant, as sanction has not yet been
applied for, for a Stationary Veterinary Assistant. Quarters are being built for
the Veterinary Assistants at Nawada and Jehanabad, and have been completed
in Siwan where in addition, a small hospital and dispensary were opened during
the year. Proposals are also before the Saran District Board for Veterinary
Assistant's quarters and a small dispensary at Gopalganj. The Veterinary
Assistant, Samastipur, had his dispensary transferred to new quarters in the
municipal office.
The following Veterinary Assistants have given satisfaction in their work
during the year under report:—
Babu N. Chattarji, Ranchi; M. Agnihotri, Bankipur; N. N. Ghose,
Muzaffarpur; J. L. Bose, Bhagalpur; G. N. Mazumdar, Sitamarhi; P. C.
Bhattacharji, Balasore ; J. N. Mukharji, Gaya ; and D. N. Mukharji, Cuttack.
I regret to have to announce the death of one of the Senior Veterinary
Assistants, Babu C. L. Ganguli, who was in charge of the Bankipur Hospital.
He was well spoken of by both the European and Indian clients of the
Hospital.
The Shoeing Forges are giving satisfaction, and in most cases show profits.
Several applications were received for nalbunds, but owing to the number
required by the military authorities, the vacancies could not be filled.