The Northeastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has found serious loopholes and misappropriation in utilisation of funds released to contain the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) also known as bird flu in Assam.
The study, which was conducted by Fellowship for Agri-Resource Management and Entrepreneurship Research (FRAMER), has found that the Assam government incurred about Rs 50 million in conducting HPAI control operation in 2008 outbreak.
The study, a copy of which is in possession of this newspaper also, found that only 34 per cent of the total amount spent was utilised for compensation to the farmers and poultry owners while the authorities spent 66 per cent of the total expenditure on logistic.
The study which was conducted by FARMER as an assignment of NEDFi, found that 5,12,221 birds were estimated to be susceptible to the avian virus out of which 2,697 died and 5,09,524 birds were culled. According to reports, the total market value of poultry and poultry products destroyed during operation was approximately Rs 28 million whereas authorities disbursed and paid compensation of Rs 17 million only which was 60.67 per cent of the estimated market value of the destroyed livestock.
In what has surprised the experts also is that compensation was not paid to the framers even after the state authorities having sufficient fund at their disposal.