A specialist from Kolkata, Gopal Chakraborty of the DARD, is in Malda to oversee the three-day operation.

Despite the government announcing the fresh outbreak of the flu on Monday, formal notification by the Centre of the outbreak in the district reached Malda on Tuesday.

A high-level meeting was held in Malda to asses the situation. During the meeting, Congress MLA Krishnendu Choudhury alleged that the state government and the district administration are not taking the outbreak seriously.

“The district administration is sleeping. They are not proactive. Eggs from the affected areas are being transported in Malda town and sold openly. There are no restrictions on the movement of chickens and eggs from the affected areas. Since villagers of the affected areas are selling them cheap, the infected poultry is easily coming in Malda. I have raised the point with the district magistrate during the meeting,” Choudhury said.

According to official sources, though the government has directed that the affected areas be cordoned off, it has not been implemented at the ground level. Therefore officials think that chances of the bird flu spreading in the district is high.

Principal Secretary of the DARD Dilip Chakrabarthy, meanwhile said on Tuesday the government had increased the compensation amount to be given to the farmers.

For layer birds, the amount has been fixed at Rs 50 per bird, while last year it was Rs 40. For broilers, while the amount was Rs 30 last year, it has been increased to Rs 50 this year. And for ducks, the amount has been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 75.