Rajasthan Assembly passes bill to stop camel slaughter

Rajasthan Legislative Assembly today passed by a voice vote a bill to stop camel slaughter in the state.
The Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Bill, 2015 was passed after a short debate in which the Opposition Congress legislator Govind Singh Dotasar demanded that it be referred to a select committee to examine the punishment clauses which were overruled by the ruling BJP government.
Defending the Bill's provision, Animal Husbandry Minister P L Saini said several cases of intentional killings of camel and its progeny have come to light.
He said that large number of camels were transported to other states for the purpose of slaughter.

The recurrent famine and scarcity conditions in the state tend to increase this menace even more, he said, adding, that the existing laws were not sufficient to tackle the problem.
Saini said that whoever contravenes or attempts to contravene the provisions the Bill shall be punished with a rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but may extend to five years and with a fine which may extend to Rs 20,000.