No azaadi yet from stray cattle in Haryana as govt misses Aug 15 deadline

The residents in Haryana will have to continue bearing the trouble on roads due to stray cattle as the state government has failed to meet its deadline to end the menace. Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and gauseva aayog chairman Bhani Ram Mangla had announced to make Haryana stray cattle free by August 15.

However, Mangla now says they could only finish 30% work. He claimed that around 15,000 cattle were still on the roads, and raised resentment at the living condition of thousands of bovines who were shifted to the gaushalas in the year-long drive.

“We had to halt the process because of shortage of space. We were shifting cows and bulls to gaushalas without realising they were jampacked already. What is the use of such drive if cattle die of starvation in gaushalas?” Mangla said.

He said the focus of the government was now to open more gaushalas and nandishalas across the state to give proper space to the cattle. “We first need to improve the living condition of those inside the gaushalas before thinking of shifting more stray cattle there,” he said.

The stray cattle problem had particularly increased in Haryana after the government passed tough laws banning cow slaughter with stringent punishment for violations. Thousands of cows and bulls made the roads their home, disrupting free flow of traffic and causing fatal accidents every day.

The legal provisions have virtually brought sale of cattle to a halt. Besides bulls, the farmers and dairy owners have started abandoning cows that have stopped giving milk.

“In Rohtak, we will impose a fine of Rs 10,000 on such farmers and dairy owners. The public has been asked to help authorities catch them,” said Dr Surya, deputy director of the animal husbandry department.