1000 Rs crore, Asia's biggest livestock institute inaugurated in Tamil Nadu

Pashu Sandesh, 22 Feb 2021

The chief minister of Tamil Nadu EK Palaniswami on Monday 22^nd  February inaugurated the Advanced Institute of Integrated Research in Livestock and Animal Sciences (AIIRLAS) at Thalaivasal in Salem district. Constructed with a cost of Rs 1,023 crore and spread over sprawling  1,100 acres of land, it is claimed to be the biggest livestock research centre in Asia. AIIRLAS also accommodates Tamilnadu's fifth veterinary college which was also inaugurated today by the CM.

The foundation stone AIIRLAS  was laid on 9 Feb 2020 and is completed in a record time of one year. This state of the art campus has 20 buildings covering 3.72 lakh sq ft. This institute has 10 major complexes which include indigenous and exotic cattle unit, sheep and goat unit, pig unit, native dog unit, animal quarantine and isolation facilities, farm veterinary hospital, clinical labs and poultry unit. Officials of the institute said that, in the backdrop of the corona, this advanced centre will focus on developing an advanced lab for zoonotic diseases. Advanced virology lab will be the key department of this centre.  This centre is expected to attract researchers from across the globe.

Speaking on this occasion Chief Minister also announced the establishment of a cross-breeding cattle research centre at Karumandurai with a cost of Rs 100 crore. Animal husbandry minister of Tamil Nadu Udumalai Radhakrishnan said, that the cattle population of the state had increased to 95.19 lakh, which is 7.40% higher than the previous census. He also informed that steps are being taken to recruit 1100 veterinary doctors through TNPSC. Radhakrishnan further said that two more new veterinary colleges would soon be inaugurated in the state at Theni and Udumalaipet(Tiruppur) respectively.