TIA NEWS
Amid the raging debate over cow vigilantism, the Centre today informed the Supreme Court that government would provide Adhaar-like Unique Identification Number (UIN) to cows. And these cow would be kept at a shelter home run by the State governments in every district after they cease to give milk.
“Each cow and its progeny across India should get a Unique Identification Number for tracking,” the government said in its report to the apex court.
Each cow and its progeny across India will get a Unique Identification Number (UIN) so that their tracking can be done and it would record their details like age, breed, sex, lactation, height, body, colour, horn type, tail switch, special marks.
The Union Agriculture Ministry has devised a tamper proof identification of cattle using polyurethane tags with UIN.
There would be a Uniform law for the preservation and protection of cow in India as it would help in reducing gray areas and ensuring implementation to a better extent.
The Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told the bench of the Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud that these were the recommendations of a committee headed by a Joint Secretary, Home Ministry which have been finalised and approved by the competent authorities.
“…, recommendations of the Committee have now been finalised and approved by the competent authority”, the government told the court saying that its directions stands complied with as it sought the dismissals of the petition by the Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh.
The centre also highlighted the issue of cow protection and smuggling of cattle across India-Bangladesh border.
The Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told the bench of the Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud that these were the recommendations of a committee headed by a Joint Secretary, Home Ministry which have been finalised and approved by the competent authorities.
The petitioner organisation had moved the top court to putting in place a comprehensive plan for curbing the smuggling of animals including unproductive cows to Bangladesh which has a large beef processing units for export of beef.
The Committee has said that instead of dealing the problem of smuggling at the Indo-Bangladesh border, it would be better to address it at the source itself.
The Committee has recommended that States’ may set-up Kine House/Pinjrapooles with a minimum capacity of500 cattle each in every district to ensure that rescued/abandoned animals are adequately cared. Every Kanji house, the committee has reciommended maqy have a full time Veterinary doctor and staff its effective running and maintenance.
The Committee has recommended that to check the smuggling of livestock across country’s border with Bangladesh, there may be strict enforcement of Export Import Policy (EXIM) by the customs department, State police, Regional Transport Department and the BSF.
The Comittee has recommended that enforcement agencies working on Indo-Bangladesh border needs to emphasis on intelligence and information and for this they could seek active support and co-operation from the public on the movement of animals.
The committee has recommended that penalty of Rs. 50 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 may be revised based on inflation correction since 1960 when the said Act came into force. In the course of the deliu8bersation of the Committee it was felt that all the offences under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, may be made cognizable.
The Committee has noted that due to “economic inter-dependency” of large segment of population on both sides of the border they develop propensity for smuggling with illegal cattle trade forming a major part. It has identified North 24 Pargana, Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia and Dakshin Dinajpur in West Bengal and Dhubri in Assam as the most affected areas.
Centre told the apex court that a committee headed by Joint secretary, home ministry was formed. The committee gave following recommendations…
1. The responsibility of safety and care of abandoned animals is mainly of the State government.
2. Each district should have a shelter home of the capacity of at least 500 animals for abandoned animals. This will help reduce the smuggling of abandoned animals.
3. Special care should be given to cattle beyond the age of milking. The animals which stop milking are mainly smuggled outside India.
4. Scheme should be launched for farmers in distress so that they do not sell animals that are beyond milking age.
5. Funding of such shelter homes should be done by state govt. The existing shelter homes lack facility and human resources.
6. Each cow and its progeny across India should get a Unique Identification Number so that their tracking can be done.
7. The UID number should have age, breed, sex, lactation, height, body, color, horn type, tail switch, special marks details of the animal.
8. UID for cow and its progeny should be made mandatory across India.
9. To stop smuggling of animals across Bangladesh, active support and cooperation should be sought from public. People should be asked to give information related to movements of animals on roads through toll free helpline numbers.
FOLLOW INDIAN AWAAZ ON TWITTER