Naidu: Govt examining public representations on cattle ban

The environment ministry’s notification banning cow slaughter was in response to a SC’s observation on the issue

Union information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday the government has received several representations from the public on its notification banning the sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter through animal markets and is examining them as the row over the issue escalated across the country.

In a notification announced last week, the government said cows and buffaloes cannot be sold for slaughter at animal markets across India, allowing only farmland owners to trade at the animal markets. The notification covered bulls, bullocks, cows, buffalos, steers, heifers and calves, as well as the camel trade.

Naidu, however, refused to comment on whether the government will reconsider its notification. The Union minister added it is wrong to say that the government wants to restrict the food habit of the people.

“The environment ministry’s notification banning cow slaughter was in response to a Supreme Court’s observation on the issue,” he said.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the CPI(M), which rules Kerala, spoke in a rare voice of unity between the two arch rivals against the Narendra Modi government. “We won’t accept the Centre’s decision … it is unconstitutional,” Banerjee said, dubbing the ban as an attempt to “encroach into state power”. MADRAS HC STAYS GOVT CATTLE ORDER ››P4

Heightening uncertainties about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the West Bengal government said on Tuesday that its assembly will not move the bills required to roll out the new indirect tax.

GST is scheduled to be rolled out on July 1. While the Parliament had passed all the four GSTrelated bills during the Budget session, states will have to ratify the State-GST legislation to rollout the new tax.

About 22 states have passed the SGST Bill so far, other states have time till the first week of June to ratify it.

The dissent was expressed by Amit Mitra, state finance minister at the state secretariat in Kolkata on Tuesday. He will raise the West Bengal’s objections in the next GST council meeting on June 3, Mitra said.

Mitra also said that he will object to the Centre’s proposal to levy GST on items such as shoes, wig, and vernacular cinema.

“I shall also highlight that there are major objections from different sectors of the state to rolling out GST from July 1. The services sector is against it”.

Rolling out GST as it stands today will be a double-burden on the states that are yet to recover from the shocks of demonetisation, said the Bengal finance minister, who was also the chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers.

This is not the first time that West Bengal has opposed GST. Along with Kerala, the state was foremost in its reservations against the new indirect tax.