Karnataka government’s approach towards cattle protection is genuine, not tokenism, says Minister Priyank Kharge

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister and Kalaburagi district in-charge Priyank Kharge said that the Karnataka government’s approach to protecting livestock was ‘real cattle protection and not tokenism’, as Kalaburagi district has achieved 96% coverage in foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination.

In a post on social media platform, Mr. Kharge said protecting livestock, which are the backbone of an agrarian economy, was equivalent to protecting farmers. “Our government works with this consciousness. We do not believe in token cattle protection for political gains,” he stated.

According to official data, of the total 3,55,653 livestock in Kalaburagi district, 3,41,136 animals have been vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease. About 14,500 animals were excluded from the drive as they were either pregnant or suffering from some ailment, making vaccination medically inadvisable.

Veterinary staff visited villages across the district and created awareness among farmers about the importance of vaccination, he said.

Recalling the situation prior to 2022, Mr. Kharge said Karnataka had faced a severe shortage of FMD vaccines and a sharp rise in livestock deaths due to the disease. He said the situation had been effectively addressed through consistent and focused intervention by the government.