Rampurhat, Jan. 29: Forcible culling without compensation has hit a political hurdle before it could take off in Birbhum.

The animal resource development department (ARD) has decided to defer the exercise after panchayat members requested it to extend the culling operation, saying villagers were now ready to hand over their chickens and ducks.

The government had earlier said that once culling was over, mop-up operations would start. ARD members would conduct door-to-door surveys and forcibly destroy birds hidden from flu fighters. Villagers would not get any compensation for these birds.

But with panchayat elections round the corner, the ruling CPM has developed cold feet.

The district administration had planned to start mop-up operations immediately after reaching the culling target of seven lakh on Sunday and had informed the panchayats of the affected villages.

“But they are requesting us to extend the culling operation after which mop-up can start,” said Narayan Das Bhowmik, ARD director, Birbhum.

A CPM leader requesting anonymity said villagers “would not take kindly” to mop-up operations.

Many blamed the administration for failing to complete culling.

“The culling team came to our place only once. Although we kept birds ready, they did not take them. It is their fault, why should we suffer?” asked Ashok Dom, a resident of Diwanpara village under the Kasthagarah gram panchayat.

Ten-year old Bapan Sheikh had gone to hand over 13 birds at a school in Gopalpur village. “Some people took away my birds and got the compensation slip from the babus,” he alleged.

In some other villages under the Kasthagarah panchayat , ARD officials alleged that residents had forced culling teams to record more birds than the actual number to get extra compensation.