India News | Bird Flu: Delhi Govt Decision to Open Ghazipur Mandi Sends 'positive Message' Across India

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) The Centre on Thursday said the Delhi government's decision to open Ghazipur poultry market will send a positive message throughout the country, even as it asked states to ensure that all precautions are taken to curb the spread of bird flu.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has issued directions to open the Ghazipur poultry market after all 100 samples collected from there tested negative for bird flu. All three municipal corporations in Delhi lifted the ban imposed on sale, storage of poultry or processed chicken meat after samples taken from markets tested negative for bird flu.

Bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat so far.

Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh said: "Hope the decision to lift the ban on Ghazipur mandi will send a positive message throughout the country. I urged them to take precautions and not to panic."

He said the Centre had issued an advisory in October 2020 on bird flu and also set up control room.

"Had the advisory been followed, there would not have been panic in Delhi or other states," the minister told reporters.

Singh said he had a meeting with Delhi Deputy Chief Minister earlier in the day.

"There was positive discussion. Three mayors were also there in the video conference. The Delhi government has taken decision to open the Ghazipur mandi," Singh said, adding that it was decided that the MCDs will also take back their direction issued on banning sale of chicken and eggs in hotels and restaurants.

The minister urged all states to ensure that all precautions are taken and no panic is spread.

"If the Delhi government had taken the decision to ban sale of chicken at Ghazipur mandi after final reports of samples had come, it would have been better. This much panic would not have been created, if the advisory was followed. I thank the Delhi government for reconsidering the decision," Singh said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)