Bovine smuggling: Vehicles to be seized, offenders arrested under proposed changes in Raj law

Vehicles used in illegal bovine transport will be seized and the accused arrested under the new amendments in the state law proposed by the BJP government in Rajasthan. The state government has approved the amendment in the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995 to add a section 6 (A) under which vehicles used in illegal transport of bovine would be seized and will be released after payment of penalty, Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore said at a press conference after a state cabinet meeting. Also, a new section empowers the appropriate authority to arrest the offenders. The bill proposing the changes will now go before the state Assembly. The vehicles used in illegal transport of animals will be seized similar to the action taken under the Excise Act. "Also, appropriate authority will be able to arrest offenders after amendment in the Act, Rathore said, adding that buffalo and its progeny were excluded from the definition of bovine animals after directions from the Centre. The cabinet approved five per cent relaxation to SC/ST category candidates in minimum eligibility marks for direct recruitment of grade-2 clerk and stenographer examination. It was mandatory to score 40 per cent and 36 per cent marks in the phase-1 and 2 of the direct recruitment examination of grade-2 clerk and stenographer. With the amendment, five per cent relaxation will be given in the minimum eligibility marks, the minister said. He said that amendment was made in rules of Excise Allied Services (Prevention branch) for recruitment process.

As many as 12.5 per cent of direct recruitment posts will be reserved for ex-armymen and a proposal to replace interview process by written examination and physical test was approved. In another amendment in the higher education sector, state government will have the right to appoint first vice chancellor in technical universities. Rathore said that the government had established technical universities in Kota and Bikaner. Under the guidance of University Grants of Commission (UGC), state cabinet approved introduction of Rajasthan Technical Universities Procedures (Amendment) Bill in the Rajasthan Assembly, which will allow the state government to appoint first vice chancellor in technical universities. The state cabinet also approved land allotment to various sections of the society. In total 12 cases, land was allotted to various religious groups as per the reserved prices prevailing in 2013. The cabinet also approved various facilities for industrial investors in the state.