Goa govt to seize stray cattle from beaches, highways

Perturbed by the menace caused by cattle sauntering Goa beaches thronged by tourists, and the highways, the Manohar Parrikar government has decided to seize them and assigned the task to Panaji Corporation.
"The government will notify Goa Stray Cattle Management Scheme 2013, which will provide funding to agencies to impound the cattle straying on beaches and the highways", Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Legislative Assembly today.
Parrikar, however, clarified that his government was against auctioning the captured livestock as they might be purchased by butchers.
"There were complaints from NGOs that the cattle which were impounded by the government earlier were purchased by the butchers", he said, adding the Corporation of City of Panaji has been nominated as an agency to impound the cattle.

Parrikar said the civic body will be provided with hydraulic vehicle to lift the cattle found straying on roads.
He said the state government will not touch the cattle wandering on village and municipal roads outside of Panaji, as it would be responsibility of those respective bodies.
"The state government has given instructions to all municipal authorities to appoint pound keepers", he said.
Parrikar said that the government's role was restricted to requesting local self-governing bodies to round up the cattle and it can not force them to do so.