Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture C. Puttaranga Shetty on Thursday said admissions to veterinary courses will commence at the newly established veterinary college at Koila in Kadaba taluk, Dakshina Kannada, as soon as the Veterinary Council of India accords approval for the same.

The college building and other infrastructure were made available at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore, the Minister said while inaugurating the Pashupalana Bhavana of the department at Kodialbail here.

Mr. Shetty said currently 3.5 lakh litres of milk was being produced in Dakshina Kannada district. Of this, 2.7 lakh litres was being purchased from farmers through Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Union. In the last three years, ₹137.51 crore was distributed as incentive to farmers while ₹68.44 lakh as compensation was given to the owners of 634 cattle that died accidentally in the district.

Speaking on the occasion, Health and Family Welfare and district in-charge Minister U.T. Khader said the government would take steps to open training centres at district levels to train civic workers in dog-catching. At present, private individuals were hired by paying ₹1,500 a day to catch dogs. He said the government would make sincere efforts to increase payments to Pashu Sakhis, ASHA, Anganwadi workers and Akshara Dasoha staff.

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department Commissioner S.S. Lingaraj, Director P. Srinivas, DKMUL director Sucharita Shetty, deputy director Arun Kumar Shetty and others were present.