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- By Parinda News Bureau, February 27, 2006, 12:57 IST
Mumbai: The poultry lobby is at work. Even as state authorities averred that it would take at least three months for the poultry business in Navapur to resume operations, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar pooh-poohed the hysteria over the bird flu and urged the people to eat chicken with a vengeance.
Inaugurating a farmers' expo in Latur, Pawar decried the media coverage of the avian flu and said that the poultry industry has been adversely affected by the panic. After the reportage on TV channels, "we stopped eating chickens and eggs for no reason whatsoever. Even Parliament canteen stopped serving chicken. Railways, airlines and army followed suit," Pawar said.
"Let vegetarians eat vegetable or grass. Start consuming chickens with full fervour," he said, adding that over 20 lakh eggs were in danger of rotting if not consumed within the next couple of to ward off bird flu scare venue. Up for grabs was an array of chicken dishes priced at just Rs.10; boiled eggs went for Re.1
There sales of chicken and eggs have plummeted in some parts of the country ever since the bird flu virus was detected at Navapur village in Maharashtra just over a week ago. Tens of thousands of chickens have been culled in and around Navapur to prevent the spread of the disease.
For chicken-loving Punjabis, the festival in Chandigarh was quite an attraction. Men, women and children left their avian flu concerns at home to try some of the spicy deep-fried chicken delicacies.
Anand Singh, a resident of Sector 34, said: "The avian flu scare in this region is unwarranted.
None of the poultry farm samples in north India have tested positive. I want to have my fill at this.
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