Govt ropes in NDDB to upgrade animal health facility at CCSNAIH

New Delhi: The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has signed a pact with the National Dairy Development Board to upgrade the bio-containment facility at Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. The estimated budget for the project is Rs 160 crore, and expected to be completed within 20 months, the ministry said in a statement.

The upgraded facility will enhance India's capabilities in veterinary services, quality control testing, livestock health programmes, research and development in animal health, and serve as a platform for national and international collaboration. "With the proposed works, the department foresees advantages in terms of enhanced mandate and capability," the statement said, listing benefits like compliance with the latest guidelines, state-of-the-art animal house containment facility, and preparedness for emerging livestock health challenges.

Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Animal Health (CCSNAIH) will become the only institute in the country capable of experimentation with large and small animals under containment, the ministry added. The project aims to boost the institute's self-sustenance through revenue generation models, including vaccine testing, animal experimentation, training, and quality control services for government and non-government agencies.

The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), a statutory body under the ministry's administrative control, has expertise in constructing and maintaining bio-containment facilities. It has executed several such projects for livestock health institutes across the country in recent years. Senior officials from the ministry, CCSNAIH, and NDDB were present at the agreement signing ceremony held on Wednesday.