AHMEDABAD: Amid protests by the Maldhari community against a bill passed by the Gujarat Assembly to tackle the menace of stray cattle in urban areas, state BJP chief CR Paatil said he has requested Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to reconsider it and believes it will be withdrawn soon.
The Gujarat Cattle Control (Keeping and Moving) In Urban Areas Bill, which was passed in the recently concluded session of the Assembly, requires cattle rearers to obtain a licence to keep such animals in cities and towns, failing which they may face imprisonment.
"After receiving representation from the Maldhari, or cattle-rearer, community against the bill, I met Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday morning and requested him to reconsider it," Paatil said.
"The existing rules to control cattle menace in municipal corporation areas are sufficient, and if the community is ready to follow them properly, there is no need for a new law. I find their (community) demand justified, and have told them the government will certainly reconsider it," Paatil added.
He said he had told the Chief Minister the request of the Maldhari community was justified, adding that he was sure the bill would be withdrawn in the next session of the Assembly.
The bill was passed in the early hours of April 1 after a seven-hour heated debate that started around 6 pm, with the opposition Congress vehemently opposing it and threatening to launch a statewide stir.
Following the passage of the bill, members of the cattle-rearer community have been up in arms against the government, launching a protest and submitting memorandums seeking its withdrawal.
Under the law, a cattle-rearer will be required to obtain a licence from a competent authority for keeping cattle in eight cities and 156 towns of Gujarat,and the cattle will have to be tagged within 15 days of obtaining licence.
If the owner fails to tag the cattle within 15 days, he will be punished with imprisonment which may extend up to one year or a penalty of Rs 10,000 or both.
As per the bill, is any official is assaulted or hurdles are created during any cattle catching operation, the responsible person will be punished with jail term of one year along with a Rs 50,000 fine.
On the seizure of tagged cattle, its owner will be fined Rs 5,000 for the first time, Rs 10,000 for the second time, and Rs 10,000 and FIR for the third time, the bill lays down.