BHUBANESWAR: With public awareness drives failing to prevent stray cattle owners from leaving their cattle unattended on roads, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday announced to bring into force a fresh standard operating procedure (SOP) within its jurisdiction from January 15 to deal with the menace.
As per the SOP notified by the civic body, stray cattle will be lifted as and when it comes to the notice of the BMC and there will be no prior notice or information provided to the cattle-owners for the same. Any person found causing hindrance to the civic body in lifting such cattle will even be liable to criminal prosecution and a heavy fine.
The stray cattle will be released only after recovery of twice the amount incurred for its lifting and feeding from the cattle-owner. Besides, the owner of the cow will also require to produce proof and identity (ear tag details and photo) for its release. The entire process will also be videographed, the SOP stated.
BMC officials said six cattle-shelters have been readied at Jamukoli, Jatni, Puri, Begunia, Kashipur (Infocity-2) and Brahmagiri for retention of the stray cattle rescued from the roads in the city. Meanwhile, in another development, the civic body has decided to resume dog sterilisation, after a writ petition on animal birth control (ABC) programme in the state was disposed of by the Orissa High Court on Monday.
The sterilisation programme had been put on hold for nearly six months owing to the case pending in the court.