Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao held a review meeting on the Sheep rearing at Pragati Bhavan

Honourable Chief Minister  K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed the officials concerned to sanction Sheep Unit to every person, who is over 18 years of age, in Yadav and Kuruma communities in the State. He also asked the officials to make arrangments for purchase of the Sheep after the onset of Monsoon this year. The CM has decided to sanction Sheep units to the about 4 lakh Yadav and Kuruma families in the State and even if they are 50, 000 more families, Sheep units will be given. He wished that the guidelines for rearing of Sheep should be transparent and simple. Strict and complicated guidelines will not serve the purpose. He wanted more beneficiaries should come under the scheme. The CM has decided that without any linkage to the banks, the scheme should be implemented to all the Yadav and Kuruma members whoever has asked for it. The state government will give 75 per cent subsidy and 25 per cent will be borne by the individual beneficiary.

          The CM held a review meeting on the Sheep rearing at Pragati Bhavan here today. Deputy CM  Kadiam Srihari, Animal Husbandry Minister  Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Government’s Chief Advisor  Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary  SP Singh, Principal Secretaries  S Narsing Rao, Ms Shanti Kumari, Secretary Ms Smitha Sabharwal, Special Secretary Bhoopal Reddy, Meat and Poultry Development Corporation MD  Laxma Reddy and others participated. In this review meeting, transparent and simple guidelines for the Sheep rearing have been finalised.

v  Every person who is above 18 years of age from Yadav and Kuruma families will be made member of the Society. More than one person per family can become members. If need be, more new societies will be formed. Sheep units will be given to every member of the Society. Those who have already in the possession of Sheep will also get Sheep units. Even if somebody is having a job in the family, his father or brother can become members and get the Sheep unit.

v  Every Unit will have 20 Sheep and one Ram. Each unit's expenditure will be Rs 1.25 Lakh. Of this, the beneficiary should bear 25 per cent (Rs 31,250); the government will give rest of 75 per cent (Rs 93,750) as Subsidy. This scheme will be implemented without involvement of the banks. There is no dearth of funds for the Sheep Rearing. The government has decided to raise Rs 4,000 Crore from NCDC.

v  There are estimates that Yadav and Kuruma communities in the state account for about 4 Lakh. Even if they’re more, the scheme will be implemented. Units will be sanctioned for half of them in the first year; the rest will be in the next year. For the sanction of Units in the first year, to eliminate any political or other influences, Units will be sanctioned by draw of lots. If in a village there are 60 society members, lottery will beheld before 30 members in the first phase. Earlier, a lot of irregularities took place in identifying beneficiaries and buying the Sheep. Undue influences were at work. Now that will not happen and any irregularity committed will be dealt with severely. The CMO office will monitor it on a regular basis.

v  At the State level, Meat and Poultry Development Corporation MD  Laxma Reddy will coordinate the scheme. In the districts, Animal Husbandry officials under the supervision of the Collector will coordinate the scheme. A three member committee of MRO, MPDO and Government Veterinary Doctor will implement the scheme. A weeklong programme will be conducted to enroll members into the Societies. Officials will personally go to the villages and enroll the members and record the number of Sheep available there.

v  Sheep should be purchased from the neighbouring States only and not from the Telangana State. The government is very keen on this. Officials should go to the neighbouring states and purchase the Sheep and Ram. The state government will bear the Insurance and transportation charges. Every Sheep will be insured. Insurance cover will be given not only to the new Sheep but also to the old ones, which are in the possession of the Yadav and Kuruma communities in the State.

v  The officials will plan that the purchased Sheep and Ram will arrive in villages at the onset of the Monsoon. There is no ban for the Sheep to graze in the forests as only Goats are banned from grazing. The state government has already given instruction to forest officers to allow Sheep and Ram to graze in the forestlands. There is 67.50 Lakh acres of forestland in the State. About 25-lakh acre of lands is full of hillocks, rocky area which is not suitable for agriculture. Yadavs have about 15 lakh acres of land under their possession. In all, about one Crore acres of land is available for the Sheep to graze. Stylo Grass variety will be grown on these lands for the Sheep to have a healthy food. In the Mango and other Orchids if the Sheep are allowed to graze, it will be beneficial for the Sheep rearers as well as the farmers. The Orchid land will become fertile with the organic fertiliser of the Sheep. The officials should explain this to farmers and Sheep rearers and allow the sheep to graze in the orchids and groves.

v  Veterinary medicine will be bettered to get better medical attention to the Sheep who fall sick and prevent others from getting sick. The Sheep will be tested at the time of their purchase. Sheep will be administered deworming and other vaccines on a regular basis. Medical health will come to the doorstep of the units. One Mobile Vet Clinic will be provided in all the Rural Assembly Constituencies. Veterinary health system will be strengthened at the Mandal level. Already 309 Veterinary doctors are appointed in addition to the existing 881.  Supportive staff will also be appointed. Veterinary health will be improved in the State as in the next two years there will be crores of Sheep in the State. Preference will be given to the health of Sheep.

v  Measures will be taken for marketing of the Sheep. A Village Shandy will be held for two or three Mandals.

v  In the Telangana State there are Yadav, Kurmis who have an expertise in Sheep breeding and rearing. By giving them a helping hand, the government is planning to develop the Sheep rearing in a big way. With this initiative, the state can have adequate meat required for its own consumption and can export to other States and countries. Shepherd and Kuruma communities’ people will be developed economically. The rural economy will be strengthened.