CM Pramod Sawant calls Goa India's first rabies-free state

New Delhi : Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday tagged Goa as India's first rabies-free state as it has not reported even a single case in last three years.

"We have now achieved 5,40,593 vaccinations against the rabies in dogs and educated nearly a lakh people in dog bite prevention across Goa as well as set up 24-hours rabies surveillance involving an emergency hotline and rapid response team for dog bite victims," the Chief Minister told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"We are happy to say that in the last three years, we have not had a single case of rabies in Goa," Sawant said.

The feat has been achieved with the help of Mission Rabies project, which is being run through a central government grant. 

"The Mission Rabies organization is doing a lot of work with all the political leaders, panchayats and because of awareness created, we were able to achieve this target," Sawant added.