Odisha asked to prevent cruel cattle transport

http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/odisha-asked-to-prevent-cruel-cattle-transport/49754/

The Orissa High Court today directed the state government to conscientiously follow the suggestions made by Chennai-based Animal Welfare Board of India to check the perilous manner in which cattle are transported from the state. 

Asking the Director General of Police to upgrade night patrolling on National Highways, the court directed the state police to register cases under the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty (Animals) Act against the persons transporting cattle in a hazardous manner. 

Disposing of two PILs pertaining to illegal trafficking of cattle, a Division Bench of Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda and Justice S K Mishra also asked the police to rescue the cattle that are transported in an inhuman manner and seize the vehicles in which they are transported. 

This direction came in the wake of two PILs filed by social organisations — Legal Support and Social Action (Lessa) and Viswa Gosurakhshya Vahini (VGV).

The petitioners had also maintained that aged cows without being fed or provided with drinking water are transported long distances as a result some of them meet tragic end during transportation. 

They had also argued that the cattle are taken to slaughter houses in terrifying manner which violates the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty (Animals) Act and Rules governing thereof. 

Adjudicating over the petitions, the High Court had earlier asked the Animal Welfare Board of India to file details in an affidavit stating as to what steps the Board is taking to prevent such cruelty to poor animals.

Cattle rescued from overloaded truck

CHENNAI: Animal welfare activists and police rescued 26 buffaloes and two bulls that were being transported for slaughter from Andhra Pradesh to Kerala on Tuesday evening.


Chinny Krishna, vice-chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India, was en route to Chengelpet when he spotted a truck overloaded with cattle. "I tried stopping the vehicle at the Chengalpet toll gate but they got away," said Krishna.


He followed the truck as the driver took it off the highway into a wooded area and threw them out of the lorry. "There were 33 buffaloes, including two pregnant buffaloes, a lactating mother and a calf, as well as two bulls. They were in terrible shape as they were without food and water," said Krishna, who alerted the highway patrol and Blue Cross. The animals were rounded up by Blue Cross officials.


"We recovered 26 buffaloes and two bulls but the other animals ran away," said sub-inspector P Mani, who works with the highway patrol.


The animals were crammed into one truck in violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, and the Indian Penal Code. "As per the transport rules, a truck can carry six animals as a cow or bull needs two square metres of space," says Krishna. "But we find overloaded trucks carrying cattle nearly every day on NH45 and NH4."


Dawn Williams, general manager of Blue Cross, has filed a complaint with the Chengalpet taluk police station. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Cattle-rescued-from-overloaded-truck/articleshow/11802296.cms 

Indian state sets up law to protect cow

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NEW DELHI, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The western Indian state of Gujarat legislative assembly has unanimously cleared a bill to control the transportation of cattle within the state and outside to protect the cow, a holy animal in Hindu religion, says China's Xinhua news agency citing a report in The Times of India Thursday.

The Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2011, specifically prevents the transportation of cow, the calf of a cow, a bull or a bullock.

The bill makes it obligatory for anyone wanting to transport the animal to obtain a permit from a new authority to be set up. The transporter will have to show that he is ferrying bovines only for agricultural or animal husbandry purpose.

States agriculture minister Dileep Sanghani said Wednesday that anyone violating the proposed law will not only face seizure of the animals and vehicles in which they are sought to be transported, but also up to seven-year imprisonment and a fine up to 50,000 rupees (US$1,000).

Now 7 years jail term for cow slaughter in Gujarat

http://news24online.com/Now-7-years-jail-term-for-cow-slaughter-in-Gujarat_News24_34317.aspx

Ahmadabad: Those who will involve in cow slaughter in Gujarat have to pay very heavy price. The state government has enacted an extremely tough measures to deal with all those involve in cow slaughter. The state assembly passed a bill in this regard on Tuesday.

According to the provisions of the bill,anybody taking cow for the purpose of slaughter would face seven years jail term.

While presenting the Gujarat Animal preservation Bill 2011,the state agricultural minister Dilip Sanghani said that the new bill will give ample teeth to law agencies to deal sternly with those who kill cow. The bill was even supported by the congress.

2 more bills passed, Gujarat Assembly session ends

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The two-day monsoon session of the state assembly concluded on Tuesday with the passing of two bills — the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2011, and the Bombay Inams (Kutch Area) Abolition (Repeal) Bill, 2011.

The session started at 8.30am and continued till 3pm. However, it was not that lively as it was on Monday. There were not many exciting questions asked and Congress MLAs didn't seem to be in mood to create any storm. Agriculture and animal husbandry minister Dileep Sanghani presented the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2011 in the House.

After discussion, the bill was passed unanimously. Leader of the opposition Shaktisinh Gohil said in his speech that the state government had been compelled to bring in the amendment bill because of pressure from Maldhari community and religious saints and leaders. "The government should look into the roots of the issue of cow slaughter. The government should take the grazing lands back, which have been given to its favourite people almost for free, and give it back to people associated with animal husbandry and also Maldhari community. People are compelled to sell their cattle because of helplessness to feed the animals, as there are no natural sources like grazing land," he said.

From the BJP, Radhanpur MLA Shankar Chaudhary, Gadhada MLA Atmaram Parmar, Jethabhai Bharwad and Mafat Purohit took part in the discussion. From the Congress, Ramsinh Parmar and other MLAs participated in the discussion.

GPCC president and Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia also spoke on the bill. He said, "Earlier, those who are now sitting in the ruling government had staged protests to save the cow, but when their government was in power in the Centre during 1999-2004, nobody bothered about bringing a national level bill in Parliament on the issue. On the contrary, they had promoted the meat export."

He further said, "Even the Britishers had made rules to provide 40 acres of grazing land per 100 animals but today there is no space for the animals to even stand. This government has given the land, which was identified for animal hostel by the Britishers in 1904 near Sanand, to the Tatas. The government should protect the Indian culture of cow worshipping."

Sanghani, in his reply, said: "The government is committed to prosecuting those involved in cow slaughter. We will never let anyone go after committing such an act. As far as the issue of promoting meat exports is concerned, I would say that it is the UPA government, which is imposing ban on cotton export and giving subsidies to encourage meat export."