Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the 1962-Mobile Veterinary Service of the Animal Husbandry Department on Tuesday.

Under the service, ambulances have been provided in 44 development blocks in the first phase by spending Rs 7.04 crore.

Three mobile ambulances each are being provided to Bilaspur, Una, Solan and Kullu districts, two for Lahaul-Spiti, five for Mandi and Shimla, four each to Chamba, Sirmaur and Hamirpur, one to Kinnaur and seven for Kangra district.

The chief minister also inaugurated the Pashu Sanjeevani Call Centre on the occasion.

“With the launch of these two services, farmers from any part of the state can call on toll-free number 1962 and get veterinary services at their doorstep for the treatment of serious animal diseases in case of any emergency,” he said, adding that a veterinary doctor and a pharmacist would be available with each ambulance.

Whenever any cattle breeder needs help in an emergency, he would be able to call the toll-free number 1962 and help will be provided to him through the nearest veterinary service, said Sukhu.

The veterinary services in the state would be available from 9 am to 5 pm on any working day, he said, adding that this service would be expanded in a phased manner in near future.

He further said that the state government was taking many steps to protect the interests of farmers.

“Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) on milk, where cow milk is being purchased at the rate of Rs 45 per litre and buffalo milk at Rs 55 per litre,” he said.

He said that the state government was going to set up a milk processing plant with a capacity of one lakh 50 thousand litres per day at Dhagwar in Kangra district, its capacity could be increased to 3 lakh litres per day.

This plant would be fully automated and Rs 226 crore will be spent on the project, he4 stated.

He reiterated that the state government was making efforts to strengthen the rural economy because the state can be made self-reliant only by making the villages self-reliant.

As the state government had started many schemes in the agriculture sector to strengthen the economy of the farmers, he urged the farmers to take maximum benefit of these schemes.

While interacting with the media on this occasion, the Chief Minister said that the lease period of Shanan project was going to end soon and Himachal should get its all due rights. He said that the state government would strongly plead its stand on this matter in the Supreme Court.