Animal board directed to conduct random checks in goshalas

Madras High Court today directed the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to conduct random checks in the 'goshalas' run by temples and mutts in Tamil Nadu to shelter cows donated by devotees.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh gave the directive on a PIL which sought a comprehensive scheme for up keep of cattle in temples administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR & CE) in consistent with the April 2004 order of the court laying down a 15-point guideline.
The court had issued the charter for goshalas to follow for managing the donated cows, which are sheltered there once they pass the milk-yielding phase.

As part of the guidelines, framed in the backdrop of outrage over temples selling cows to butchers, the court had banned sale of cows donated by the devotees and directed the temples to maintain details of the donors. Animals should be subjected to periodical medical check-up and cow sheds should be clean and hygienic.
When the PIL by social activist Radha Rajan came up for hearing, the bench pointed out that a meeting of officials and an expert committee held on February 11, 2015, said resolutions adopted at the meeting would be binding on the authorities who must comply with it.

It said the AWBI and the HR & CE department could be assisted by a team of committed volunteers in conducting checks of ghosalas.