Chapter II PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF CONTAGIOUS OR INFECTIOUS DISEASES

(1) If the Inspector has reason to believe that there is an infective animal in any land, building or other place in which animals are kept, temporarily or otherwise, he shall at once, by order in writing, declare such land, building or place, to be an infected place and shall deliver a copy of that order to the owner, occupier or person in charge of the infected place and report his action to the Veterinary Officer: Provided that this sub-section shall not apply to any place owned by or under the control and management of any local authority or railway administration where animals are kept temporarily for purposes of sale, exhibition or transit. (2) On receipt of a report under sub-section (1), the Veterinary Officer shall, as soon as possible, examine the infected place and the animals kept therein and confirm or cancel the order of the Inspector. (3) If the Veterinary Officer confirms the order, he may cause notice to be served on the owner, occupier or person in charge of all places in which the animals are kept, temporarily or otherwise, within a radius not exceeding one mile from the infected place, declaring such place to be an infected place. The Veterinary Officer shall forthwith report the action taken by him under this sub-section to the prescribed authority. (4) If the Veterinary Officer cancels the order passed by the Inspector, the place specified in such order shall cease to be an infected place and the Inspector shall give notice accordingly to the owner, occupier or person in charge of such building.

(1) Where the Veterinary Officer has reason to believe that an infected animal is or has been kept in any place, which is owned by or is under the control, or management of any local authority, or railway administration where animals are kept temporarily, for purposes of sale, exhibition on transit, he may, by order in writing, declare such place to be an infected place. (2) The Veterinary Officer shall,- (a) cause a copy of the order passed by him under sub-section (1) to be exhibited prominently in the infected place in the language of the locality; (b) cause a copy of such order to be delivered at the office of the local authority or to the nearest station master of the railway administration, as the case may be; (c) cause another copy to be sent to the nearest police station; and (d) forthwith report the action taken by him to the prescribed authority.

(1) On receipt of the report of the Veterinary Officer, under sub-section (3) of section 7 or sub-section (2) of section 8 the prescribed authority shall, after making such further enquiry, as it thinks fit, submit such report with its remarks thereon, if any, to the State Government, which may— (a) confirm any declaration made under sections 7 (1), 7 (3) or 8 (1) either with or without modifications; or (b) cancel any such declaration. (2) (a) Where the State Government confirms any such declaration, either with or without modifications, it shall by notification, define the limits of the area to which the declaration with modifications, if any, made therein, shall apply and declare such area to be infected area; (b) the State Government may by notification add, amend, vary or rescind any notification published under clause (a) either on its own motion or on a further report of a Veterinary Officer, submitted through the prescribed authority; (c) on the publication of a notification under clause (a) or (b) any place declared by the Inspector or the Veterinary Officer to be an infected place and not included in the infected area as defined in such notification shall cease to be an infected place and the Inspector shall give notice accordingly to the owner, occupier or person in charge of such place; (d) the Inspector shall cause to be exhibited in some prominent place in the infected area and in the language of the locality a copy of the notification issued under clause (a) or (b). (3) Where the State Government cancels any declaration referred to in sub- section (1), any place specified in such declaration shall cease to be an infected place and the Inspector shall give notice accordingly to all persons to whom copies of such declaration were delivered or on whom notices of such declarations were served.

(1) Where any area or place has been declared to be an infected area or place under the foregoing provisions, no person shall, while such declaration remains in force, remove any animal, alive or dead, or any part or product of any animal, or any food, bedding or other things used in connection with the animal, save in accordance with the conditions of a licence granted by the Inspector. (2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall apply to the carriage by railway of any animal or thing referred to in that sub-section through an infected area or place: Provided that where any such animal or thing while in transit through an infected area or place is unloaded therein it shall not be removed therefrom, save in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1).

Where any animal or thing referred to in section 10 is removed from an infected area or place otherwise than in accordance with the conditions of a licence granted under the said section, any Inspector or Police Officer may require the owner or person in charge of such animal or thing to return it to such area or place: Provided that nothing in this section shall affect the powers of an Inspector under section 6, to deal with infective animals.

(1) In any area or place declared to be an infected area or place under this Act, the Veterinary Officer or the Inspector duly authorised by the Veterinary Officer in this behalf, shall, in all cases in which preventive vaccination or inoculation is possible and practicable, vaccinate or inoculate, as the case may be, such kinds or classes of animals in the area or place as may be prescribed and the owner or person in charge or having control of every such animal, shall render every facility or assistance to the Veterinary Officer or Inspector in carrying out such vaccination or inoculation. (2) When a Veterinary Officer or Inspector vaccinates or inoculates any animal, he may for the purpose of identification mark such animal in such manner as may be prescribed.

(1) Every vessel or

Subject to such rules as may be prescribed, the Veterinary Officer may, by order in writing, require the owner, occupier or person in charge of any land, building or other place or of any vessel, or vehicle, in which an infected animal has been kept, to have such land, building, place, vessel or vehicle disinfected and the internal fittings thereof and other things found therein or near thereto to be disinfected or destroyed in such manner and to such extent as may be specified in the order. Such owner, occupier or person in charge shall comply with such order.

Subject to such rules as may be prescribed, the Veterinary Officer may make or cause to be made a post mortem examination of any animal which at the time of its death was infected or suspected to have been infected and for this purpose, he may cause the carcass of such animal to be exhumed.

Every owner or person in charge or having control of an animal, and every Veterinary Practitioner who has been called upon to treat an animal, which he has reason to believe to be infected with contagious or infectious disease, shall forthwith report the fact to the Inspector having jurisdiction in the area.

Every owner or person in charge or having control of an animal, which he has reason to believe to be an infective animal, shall, as far as may be possible, segregate such animal in a place apart from all other animals which are not infective and shall take all possible steps to prevent any animal which is not infective from coming into contact with or approaching near such animal.

Subject to such rules as may be prescribed, any Inspector or Veterinary Officer may enter upon and inspect any land or building or other place, or any vessel or vehicle for the purpose of exercising and performing the duties conferred or imposed on him by or under this Act.

(1) Every animal which at the time of its death is infective or suspected to be infective shall be buried at least six feet below the surface of the ground or dealt with in such other manner as may be prescribed. (2) Except in the case of the exhumation of a carcass under section 15, no person shall disinter or otherwise remove the carcass of an animal buried in compliance with the provisions of sub-section (1).

No person shall organise, promote or hold in any infected area any animal market, animal fair, animal exhibition or other concentration of animals, whether for the purpose of sport or trade, without the permission in writing of the Deputy Commissioner or such officer as the State Government may authorise in this behalf.

If the Veterinary Officer suspects that an animal is infective, he may subject it to such tests as may be prescribed and the owner or person in charge or having control of such animal, shall render every facility and assistance to him in carrying out the tests.