Ban on sale of cattle for slaughter may be rolled back; Centre mulls repeal after facing farmer backlash 

Faced with backlash from cattle traders and farmers against the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, the  Centre is planning a rollback of its controversial notification.

Published: 30th November 2017 10:39 AM  |   Last Updated: 30th November 2017 05:40 PM   |  A+A-

Image for representational purpose only. (Photo | PTI)

By Online Desk

Faced with backlash from cattle traders and farmers against the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, the  Centre is planning a rollback of its controversial notification.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to withdraw the ban following feedback it received from the states on its May 23 notification on the revision of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Market) Rules, 2017. But the government is yet to decide the time-frame for the process, the Indian Express reported.

The notification on cattle slaughter had sparked severe controversy with people criticising the BJP-led NDA government for trying to impose a ban on food habits based on religious grounds. Cow vigilantes emboldened by the ban have lynched at least two people in Alwar, Rajasthan, for transporting cattle, and have attacked several others in the name of the cow. The governments of Kerala, West Bengal and Meghalaya have protested against the Centre's ban.

Farmers, hit badly by the ban, also raised questions as they couldn't sell cattles past their prime in markets due to the ban.

Earlier in September, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan had said that the rules were a “regulatory regime” for preventing cruelty to animals and the government “did not intend to directly or indirectly affect slaughterhouses or harm farmers” or “influence the food habits of people”. Following this, the Ministry had asked the states to provide their opinion on the notification.

Two sets of letters were being sent to the states by the Ministry seeking their feedback on the notification. It had also ensured that new draft would be framed based on the response, reported the Indian Express.

The Supreme court in July had extended the stay on the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter to the whole country which was earlier put on hold by the Madras High Court. The interim stay was on the implementation of rules, specifically Rule 22(b)(iii), that required a person bringing cattle for sale to the market to furnish a written declaration that it would not be sold for slaughter.


India Matters

Comments

Disclaimer : We respect your thoughts and views! But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments. All the comments will be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. Abstain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks. Try to avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines.

The views expressed in comments published on newindianexpress.com are those of the comment writers alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of newindianexpress.com or its staff, nor do they represent the views or opinions of The New Indian Express Group, or any entity of, or affiliated with, The New Indian Express Group. newindianexpress.com reserves the right to take any or all comments down at any time.

flipboard facebook twitter whatsapp