Apart from pet parents, this initiative aims at benefitting poultry and livestock farmers across the state
Kolkata: The state govt is set to come up with around 375 fair price medicine shops for pet animals and birds in various districts under the Centre’s Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme.
We may increase the number of these shops in the future,” said a senior official of the directorate. If general veterinary medicines are available at these shops for lower prices, this will cut down on our expense,” said Ayona Dutta, a pet parent. Aarushi Bhattacharya, a caregiver for strays, said, “For treating the strays that we rescue and adopt , we have to bear the expense of their treatment from our own pockets.
These medicine shops called Pashu Aushadhi Vikray Kendras (PAVKs) will be run by the Directorate of Animal Resources and Animal Health. “This is a central govt scheme that is being implemented in Bengal. These medicine shops will be modelled on ‘Jan Aushadi kendras’ where people get medicines at cheaper prices. “These fair price veterinary medicine shops can help many pet parents like me as we have to buy medicine and vaccine from private clinics at high prices. The fair price veterinary medicine shops will give us some respite.”