Tripura govt launches 50 mini mobile veterinary units for doorstep care

Agartala, July 24 (IANS) Tripura on Friday took a major step towards strengthening animal healthcare services with the launch of 50 Mini Mobile Veterinary Units (MMVUs), aimed at providing prompt veterinary treatment and other essential services to livestock farmers, particularly in remote and inaccessible areas of the state.

The Mini Mobile Veterinary Units were launched by Animal Resources Development (ARD) Minister Sudhanshu Das at a function held at Pragna Bhavan in Agartala. Addressing the gathering, the Minister said the deployment of the 50 MMVUs was announced in the State Budget for the financial year 2024‑25 as part of the government’s efforts to modernise veterinary services and improve access to animal healthcare across the state.

He said the vehicles have now been allocated to various block‑level offices to ensure quick and accessible veterinary care for cattle and other domestic animals, especially in rural and difficult‑to‑reach areas.

Minister Das said Tripura currently has 13 large Mobile Veterinary Units, but due to the state’s difficult terrain and geographical constraints, many remote villages often remain beyond their reach. The newly launched MMVUs would bridge this gap by travelling directly to the homes of livestock farmers and providing treatment, vaccination, disease diagnosis and other veterinary services at their doorsteps.

The Minister said the ARD Department is working with three key objectives – strengthening healthcare services for livestock and poultry, increasing the production of meat, milk and eggs to achieve greater self‑sufficiency, and generating employment opportunities for unemployed youth through animal husbandry and allied activities.

Highlighting the department’s priorities, he said special emphasis is being laid on both preventive and curative animal healthcare. Under preventive healthcare, free vaccination programmes are being conducted throughout the year, including the Foot‑and‑Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination drive, to protect livestock from major infectious diseases.

Under curative healthcare, the department is strengthening mobile veterinary teams to provide home‑based treatment for seriously ill large animals, supplementing the services already available through veterinary hospitals, dispensaries and sub‑centres across the state.

The Minister further informed that livestock farmers can avail veterinary services by dialling the toll‑free helpline number 1962. Upon receiving a call, veterinary doctors, departmental personnel and animal ambulances would reach the beneficiary’s residence within 24 hours to provide necessary treatment and healthcare services.

He also highlighted the implementation of the Mukhyamantri Prani Sampad Vikas Yojana, under which financial assistance is being extended to thousands of families for poultry farming, piggery and cattle rearing to strengthen the rural economy and improve livelihoods.

The Minister added that several special programmes, including a dedicated pig farming project, have also been introduced for livestock farmers residing in the areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

Speaking on the occasion, Acting Sabhadhipati of the West Tripura Zilla Parishad Bishwajit Shil described the launch of the MMVUs as a landmark initiative that would significantly improve veterinary healthcare delivery and benefit livestock farmers across the state.

During the programme, subsidies were distributed to two livestock farmers from South Tripura and Gomati districts under the National Livestock Mission – Entrepreneurship Development Programme (NL‑MEDP). In addition, two beneficiaries were provided livestock insurance assistance in the form of cheques worth Rs 60,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively.

Director of the ARD Department Neeraj Kumar Chanchal, Additional Director Bimal Krishna Das and other senior departmental officials were present on the occasion.

–IANS

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