Behrampore/Calcutta, Feb. 22: The government today resumed culling of chickens and ducks in Murshidabad and Birbhum following a central government report that said the job there was incomplete.

“I’ve ordered fresh culling in pockets of Murshidabad after coming to know that some people had hidden their poultry. Culling will be carried out in Birbhum also,” state animal resource development minister Anisur Rahman said before leaving for Murshidabad tonight to oversee the operation.

He discussed the Delhi report with animal resource secretary Dilip Chakraborty, director Dilip Das and other senior officials at Writers’ Buildings earlier in the day.

Sources said the minister ticked off the officials for the “incomplete” job. “We shouldn’t have declared the culling complete in a hurry without verifying facts,” Rahman was quoted as saying.

Iman Sheikh of Hijal village in Kandi, Murshidabad, whose 12 chickens were culled today, said no team had visited his house earlier.

The district’s animal resource deputy director, Manik Das, said 30 rapid response teams had begun culling 3,000 birds in four blocks — Kandi, Burwan, Raghunathgunj II and Beldanga II.

In Mohammadbazar and Mayureswar of Birbhum, around 300 birds were culled yesterday. Culling was carried out in Nanoor today.

The minister said the government has started distributing Rs 500 to each of the seven lakh bird flu-hit families.