Aim of rules to regulate animal markets, sale of cattle: Harsh

The new rules banning the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter aim at regulating such markets and also the sale of bovines, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan today said.
Noting that the rules are very "specific", he said that sellers and buyers have to ensure that cattle are not brought or sold in the markets for slaughter purpose and an undertaking to this effect has to obtained.
"The ministry has notified the 'Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017'. The aim of the rules is only to regulate the animal market and sale of cattle in them and ensure welfare of cattle dealt in them," he said.

The government has banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter and prohibited practices which are cruel to animals including painting of horns and putting ornaments or decorative materials on them.
"The rule provides for a strict district animal market monitoring committee and animal market committee at the local level. The only thing that is required is that the seller and the buyer have to ensure that the cattle has not been bought or sold in the market for slaughter purpose," he said.
He said that an undertaking has to obtained from the member secretary of the animal committee from seller and buyer.

"It is strengthening the hands of the government at the state level also to strengthen the movement of prevention of cruelty to animals. There is nothing else in this," he said.

He clarified that these provisions only apply to animals in the livestock market and animal seized as case properties.
These rules do not cover other areas, he said.
The rules define cattle as a bovine animal including bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and calves and camels.
The new rules also prohibits establishment of an animal market in a place which is situated within 25-km from any state border and within 50-km from any international border.