Centre issues new rules on cattle sale for slaughter

Rolling back its controversial rule that barred the sale of cattle in market for slaughtering, the Central government has come up with new rules omitting earlier clauses.

The new draft, called the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Animal Markets Rules, 2018, has omitted the rules which made it mandatory for a seller to attest that the cattle being sold were not for slaughtering.

However, prohibiting certain practices like hot and cold branding, ears slitting, muzzling, using hazardous chemicals among others, the Environment Ministry mandates formation of district level committee to prevent cruelty.

The earlier "Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules-2017", called for a district animal market monitoring committee. Apart from the District Magistrate and other government officials, the committee, according to new rules, will include a representative of a local NGO, a member of the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals and district veterinary officer.

Earlier, the 2017 rules also had a section that defined what constitutes cattle, which included cows, bulls, buffaloes, heifers, calves and camels.

Later, however, the ministry modified its May 26, 2017 rules, saying the animals, for the purpose of slaughtering, could be procured directly from the farmers at their respective farms.

The new rules have deleted the clauses which banned people from buying or selling cattle for slaughter from market.

Defining certain standards including feeding, water supply and maintaining certain facilities at animal markets, the new rules prohibits sale of unfit animals in market.

"No person shall permit an animal to be offered or displayed for sale in an animal market if it is likely to give birth," said the rules, signed on March 31 and posted recently on ministry's website. The draft will be open for suggestions for a month.

According to the new draft rules, the district level committee shall also maintain a register containing name and address of the purchaser and seller of an animal.

--IANS

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