Cow bill: Maha to follow four states

MUMBAI: Maharashtra plans to follow in the footsteps of other Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp)-ruled states in safeguarding cows. The government plans to pass the Cow Care Commission Act to regulate all welfare and protection activities related to cows in the near future.

Under the Act, it has proposed forming a cow-care commission (Gau Seva Aayog) which will have statutory powers to deal with such issues. The draft of the legislation has been prepared after studying Gau Seva Aayog Acts enacted by Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The state has further decided to make it mandatory for gaushalas (cow shelters) to take care of sick cows that are being abandoned by farmers.

The state government is providing ₹1 crore to each cow shelter for developing basic facilities and is spending ₹35 crore on the scheme this financial year. The state animal husbandry department has selected 35 gaushalas under the scheme so far, and has disbursed ₹25 lakh as first installment to 17 of them under certain terms and conditions, a senior official, requesting anonymity, said.

This proposal comes in addition to the ban imposed by the Fadnavis government on the sale, possession and consumption of beef in March 2015, amending the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976. In 2016, the Bombay high court allowed people to store and consume beef brought from outside the state.

“The draft law on cow service and protection is under active consideration of the department,” said Kiran Kurundkar, secretary, animal husbandry department.

The draft is also currently being scrutinised by state law and judiciary department after which it will be placed before cabinet for approval. “The draft law will empower the commission and provide it statutory powers such as enquiring into complaints over beef ban, cow slaughter or cruelty against cows with the help of lawenforcing agencies, to procure records from police and also give them directives on certain matters,” a source said.