Centre for providing UID to each cow across Indo-Bangla border

In a bid to avail better protection of cows and prohibition of smuggling of cattle across India and Bangladesh border, the Centre today in its report to the Supreme Court said each cow and its progeny across India should get a Unique Identification Number (UID).

The Centre told the apex court that a committee headed by Joint Secretary and Home Ministry was formed, which has given certain recommendations in the issue.

With an aim to stop cow smuggling, the committee said the responsibility of safety and care of abandoned animals is mainly of the state government.

"Every district should have a shelter home of the capacity of at least 500 animals for abandoned animals. This will help reduce the smuggling of abandoned animals," it added.

The committee further said special care should be given to cattle beyond the age of milking, adding the animals which stop milking are mainly smuggled outside India.

"Scheme should be launched for farmers in distress so that they do not sell animals that are beyond milking age. Funding of shelter homes should be done by the State Government. The existing shelter homes lack facility and human resources," it stated.

Another recommendation by the Centre said each cow and its progeny across India should get a Unique Identification Number so that their tracking can be done.

"The UID number should have age, breed, sex, lactation, height, body, color, horn type, tail switch and special marks details of the animal. The UID for cow and its progeny should be made mandatory across India," the Centre asserted.

Emphasising on the prohibition of smuggling of animals across Bangladesh, the Centre said that active support and cooperation should be sought from the public.

"People should be asked to give information related to movements of animals on roads through toll free helpline numbers," the Centre's report added.

The recommendations come in the backdrop of various incidents of cow vigilantism being reported across the nation.