Gujarat notifies new rules for slaughter

The Gujarat government on Saturday notified rules for the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2017.

The amended law has provision for a life term for any person found guilty of cow slaughter or having direct involvement with the slaughter.

The amendment to this effect was brought in by the state government on the last day of the Budget Session that ended on March 31, 2017.

With this, Gujarat became the first state in the country to have a strict law against cow slaughter. Giving details, state Home Minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja said the rules have been notified after a panel gave suggestions on the issue.

The new law has provisions for financial penalty of anywhere between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh for such a crime.

Anyone found illegally possesing or transporting a cow, too, can be imprisoned up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. The offence is also non-bailable now. The new act includes seizure of the vehicles used for transportation of animals for slaughter.

The state government has also put curbs on transportation of cows in the state. Even the legal and licenced movement of cattle would not be allowed between 7 pm and 5 am. This is being done to further restrict any illegal movement of cattle.

Reason
The minister said that the rules to issue permits for cattle transportation, too, have been changed. Earlier, 38 officials were authorised to issue permits, but now with the new rules, only taluk development officer, Mamlatdar, chief officer, deputy health officer of a municipal corporation, assistant commissioner, deputy municipal commissioner and veterinary officer would be allowed to issue permits for transportation of cattle.