Bhubaneswar, Dec. 18: Some 3,200 chickens were culled at Balasore today after state officials raided two vehicles carrying poultry from Bengal.

The government on Tuesday had imposed a ban on poultry import from neighbouring states following confirmation of the presence of bird flu virus in Bengal. The first bus seized last night was on its way from Haldia in Bengal to Puri.

A team of veterinarians and commercial tax officers near Laxmannath check post on the Orissa-Bengal border found as many as 39 cartons with 2,000, day-old chicks. “However, there were no claimants to the boxes and thus no one was booked,” said Rajkishore Dutta, the chief district veterinary officer of Balaore. The birds were culled at Jaleswar this morning. Later in the afternoon yet another vehicle carrying 1,200 day-old chicks were seized from Balasore industrial area and culled in the evening. Bishnupada Sethi, the director of the fisheries and animal resource department, blamed the Bengal government.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the IPC were promulgated in 70 villages of the district. “Checks have been intensified at major points and in 15 connecting roads to Bengal,” said district collector Alekh Chandra Padhihari.

Immunisation process is on and the staff are keeping strict vigil at bus stands and railway stations, he added.