MANGALURU: Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan on Tuesday said the government will withdraw cases filed against ‘gau rakshaks’ for stopping transportation of cattle to slaughterhouses in the state. At a review meeting of the department, MLAs Bharat Shetty and Vedavyas Kamath told the minister that their workers were being arrested for stopping transportation of stolen cattle and urged him to stop it.
Later, at a press meet, the minister said cases filed against gau rakshaks will be withdrawn. To a query that many cases against gau rakshaks pertain to assaults, and whether they will also be withdrawn, the minister said he will take a call after discussions with Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Chauhan directed officials to implement the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Ordinance, 2020, stating it would bring down illegal slaughter of cattle to a great extend. The number of goshalas will be increased and their grants too will be bigger.
He said farmers have not sought compensation to take care of non-productive cattle or to send them to goshalas, but the government will consider giving compensation to farmers for maintenance of non-productive cattle.
20 illegal slaughterhouses
MLA Kamath said that while there is one legal slaughterhouse for cattle in Mangaluru city, there are at least 20 illegal ones, and sought measures to close them down. After laws on cattle slaughter became strict, beef is being supplied to Dakshina Kananda from Kerala and neighbouring districts, and wanted a checkpost in Kudroli, where a slaughterhouse is located, to check the illegal transportation of cattle.
Deputy Commissioner KV Rajendra and SP BM Lakshmiprasad requested the minister to provide special vans to every taluk to transport cattle under the Motor Vehicles Act, stating that it will make it easier to identify illegal cattle transporters.