Haryana chews the cud on cow protection task force

Takes the bull by the horns to enforce stringent bovine protection law in the state

Haryana is toying with the idea of forming a gau rakshak (cow protection) taskforce, to ensure enforcement of the stringent cow protection law in the state.
 

“A gau rakshak taskforce, along the lines of home guards, is being considered. That way, the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, could be strictly enforced,” said Bhani Ram Mangla, chairman, Haryana Gau Seva Ayog.
 

For ‘protection and upkeep’ of cows, the Haryana Assembly had, in March last year, passed a Bill to clamp down on cow slaughter in the state. The Bill provides for rigorous imprisonment, ranging from three years to a decade.
 

 

Mangla said rustling in Yamunanagar, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Gurgaon and Rewari districts was posing a major challenge. Special teams, armed with with 62 gazetted officers and 240 police personnel, have been constituted to check rustling and slaughter, he said.
 

“In case, anyone receives information about either rustling or slaughter, the informant can share details on mobile number 8284030455. On receipt of information, a police squad would reach the spot in less than an hour and arrest the accused,” he said. 
 

Mangla said, at present, there were more than 117,000 stray cows in the State. “Following Chief Minister Manohar Lal’s announcement, we have decided to set up gau abhyaranyas (cow sanctuaries) at five places in the state. A proposal has been received to set up such sanctuaries, over 200 acres in Panipat, and 50-100 acres in Hisar, Sirsa and Bhiwani.

Also Read: Beef Ban: Eating Okay, Killing Cows Not
 

Cow sanctuaries would be set up in each district in the state in a phased manner, he added. He said a workshop would soon be organised in all districts of the state, to keep police and district administration officials abreast with minutiae of the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015.
 

The Haryana government had, on Tuesday, entrusted senior Indian Police Service officer Bharti Arora, the task to supervise and monitor the functioning of teams constituted in all districts, to effectively check the slaughter and smuggling of cows.
 

Under a special campaign launched by the Haryana government, more than 200 stray cows in Faridabad district have so far been sent to the goshalas (cow shelters), Mangla said. In case their owners stake claim to these ruminants, they will be charged Rs 5,100 as fine and Rs 150 daily for fodder.

He also informed that a scheme is being prepared to make the goshalas self-reliant. He said biogas-based electricity too would be produced in the goshalas under public-private partnership mode. Besides, organic manure and phenyl would also be prepared from cow urine. Mangla suggested some measures to the government for strengthening the financial condition of the Gau Seva Ayog.

Also Read: Punjab Cow Breeders Complain Of Falling Trade
 

Meanwhile, Haryana’s Animal Husbandry and Dairy Minister O P Dhankar, on Wednesday, gave directions to make available land for cow sanctuaries in Hisar and Bhiwani. Dhankar, who was presiding over a meeting to review various schemes being implemented for conservation of livestock by the department here, asked officers to send a proposal for the same. He also issued directions for constituting a committee for the purpose of land availability for developing cow sanctuaries in Panipat and Yamunanagar. The committee would submit its report within a week, he added.