Jaipur, Aug 14 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday directed all district collectors to buy medicines without tender and ensure adequate treatment for cattle affected with lumpy skin disease.At a review meeting with ministers in charge of districts and collectors through video conference, he said the welfare of cows is of utmost importance for the state government for which a Gopalan department has been set up.Lumpy skin disease infects cows and buffaloes mainly through vectors like blood-feeding insects. It leads to the formation of nodes on the animal’s skin or hide that look like lumps, fever, runny nose, reduced milk yield and difficulty in eating.Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been hit by the outbreak of the disease.Gehlot said a meeting will be held on August 15 with all zila pramukhs, pradhans, sarpanchs, ward panches, members of municipalities, gaushala managers and officers through video conference over the lumpy skin disease.He said that due to the alertness of veterinary doctors, staff and officers, the infection and death rate have come down.The legislators released funds from the MLAs Local Area Development Scheme funds and on the appeal of the state government, a large number of voluntary organizations came forward to stem the crisis, according to a release said.Assembly Speaker CP Joshi said that the availability of preventive medicines is being ensured up to the Panchayat Samiti level and vaccination of non-infected animals is also underway.Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Lalchand Kataria said that for effective prevention of disease, attention is being paid to maintaining cleanliness in all cow shelters in the state.Gopalan Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya said that in some places, people were protesting against the burial of animal carcasses following which it was erected that the dead animals would be buried scientifically on government land. PTI SDA NSD NSD