Department of Agriculture, Bihar and Orissa.
NO. 6170/IR--20 A OF 1916.
FROM
J. R. DAIN, ESQ., I.C.S.,
OFFG. DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE, BIHAR AND ORISSA,
To
THE SECRETARY TO THE REVENUE DEPARTMENT,
BIHAR AND ORISSA.
Dated Ranchi, the 26th July 1916.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to submit the Annual Report of the Civil Veteri-
nary Department for the year ending 31st March 1916. Mr. Quinlan was in
charge of the Department throughout the year. He was on tour for 188 days
inspecting Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries and attending outbreaks of
cattle diseases.
2. The increase in the number of students admitted to the Bengal Veteri-
nary College was a satisfactory feature of the year. This may be attributed
to the larger number of stipends offered at the urgent request of the Superin-
tendent by the District Boards ; for out of 27 students selected for admission 25
received stipends from these bodies.
But while there has been an increase in
numbers, there has been no corresponding improvement in the type of candi-
dates for admission. The standard of education of successful applicants was
low, as is shown by the fact that out of 25 boys who appeared at the first
annual examination only 15 passed. The Government stipends continued to
be held by four aboriginal youths from Chota Nagpur and by the Oriya student
who passed the final examination in March last. Of the four Chotanagpuri boys
two got promotion to the Third year class and the other two who failed have been
allowed to retain their stipends for another year. The fifth stipend has been
awarded to another boy from Angul. Altogether seven students from this Pro-
vince appeared at the final examination of the Bengal Veterinary College of
whom six including the Oriya Government stipendiary obtained their diploma
and were given appointments at once in the Department. There are still 13
posts of District and Reserve Veterinary Assistants vacant and the question of
recruitment continues to present difficulties. The service at present is not
attractive ; the pay is low and the work is exacting. The reorganisation will,
it is hoped, improve matters when it is sanctioned and comes into force. An-
other and logitimate cause of discontent is the difficulty of obtaining leave. The
Department is understaffed and there is no reserve, and in consequence leave
which is overdue and perhaps urgently required often cannot be obtained.
This ground of complaint will be automatically removed as the cadre
increases.
3. In his observations upon Table II Mr. Quinlan expresses his opinion
that the improvement in the reporting of cattle disease recorded in the previous
year has been maintained during the year under report. This is inconsistent
with the view expressed by him a little further on that although the number
of recorded deaths from Rinderpest is less than in the previous year, the actual
number of deaths is greater. The fact appears to be that the reporting of
cattle disease is still so inadequate that we are not in a position to make
an estimate of the ratio of actual to recorded cases. The chief reason for
this state of affairs is the prejudice of the high caste Hindu against in-
oculation and the pressure brought to bear in the villages to prevent Chauki-
dars giving any information. It is encouraging to note that in one or two cases