DW BUREAU / Chandigarh The Group of Ministers (GoM), closely gauging the ongoing relief work to control the Lumpy Skin disease (LSD) in the state, on Tuesday urged the union government to include this disease in the National Animal Disease Control Programme. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asked Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar to seek an early appointment from Union Animal Husbandry Minister Mr. Parshotam Rupala to raise the issue of including LSD in the National Animal Disease Control Programme, while adding that in view of the prevalence of LSD in most of the northern states and the possibility of recurrence of this disease year after year, vaccination against this disease should be made free on the lines of diseases like Foot & Mouth and Brucellosis etc. During the review meeting of LSD prevention relief works here at Punjab Bhawan, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar were apprised that out of total 10.2 lakh doses of Goat Pox vaccine procured at a cost of over Rs.1.5 crore, around 9.10 lakh doses were administered to cattle so far, while 1.10 lakh doses are available with the department. Apart from this, Rs.1.32 crore has been disbursed for procuring other medicines and equipment for the prevention of the disease. Replying to the query of Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, the officials said that cattle of more than 1.45 lakh livestock farmers have been treated free of cost so far besides vaccinating every cattle in all the Gaushalas of the state. Meanwhile, the GoM led by the Finance Minister directed to ensure the vaccination of cattle kept in large numbers by the various religious institutions, commercial dairy farmers, Gujjar communities and others people in the second phase. The Ministers also asked the Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry to coordinate with the MD Milkfed for ensuring vaccination of animals of dairy farmers registered with the institution. (editor@dailyworld.in)