Bull attack: Navjot Singh Sidhu could have met same fate in Ludhiana too

LUDHIANA : Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had a narrow escape on Thursday when a stray bull attacked people standing with him in Amritsar. There was every chance of a similar incident happening even if he would have been in Ludhiana where stray cattle menace has taken dangerous proportions.
Importantly, even after a month of purchasing a cattle lifting van, the Ludhiana municipal corporation could not be utilize the same even for once as the government has stayed the resolution, approved by the technical advisory committee, in the absence of MC general house.

The objection has been raised to spend money on the purchase of new vehicle when MC is not in good financial status.

However, the officials have filed their reply that vehicle has been purchased from the amount recovered through cow cess and MC did not spend even a single penny from its regular account.

The department had purchased this vehicle to increase the pace of animal lifting from city roads as only one cowshed management has signed an agreement with MC and only a few animals are being lifted during the day. In the previous year, the cowshed officials could remove only 1,780 animals from the city roads.

As per the officials, the department is generating around Rs 20 lakh per month from cow cess. The cow cess has to be utilized only on lifting and maintenance of the stray animals. Therefore, the department had purchased this vehicle. They are yet to apply for the registration and insurance of the vehicle. Now they are waiting for reply from the local bodies department over their justification.

However, senior veterinary officer with MC Dr Y P Singh said the local bodies department had raised objection on many other resolutions passed by TAC and this was also one of those proposals. He said other resolutions were related to MC finances but it had no relation with the financial condition of department.

Meanwhile, the problem of stray cattle has not been addressed despite several claims by MC. The lifting has failed to gather speed due to monetary issues between MC and cowshed management.

The stray cattle can be seen in abundance on roads like GT Road, Jalandhar bypass, Haibowal, Hambran Road, Chandigarh Road, Bus stand road, Daresi and even in posh areas like Model Town and BRS Nagar. These animals pose a big threat to commuters and even hamper traffic movement. Several incidents have been reported where people even received injuries or have died in stray cattle attack or accident.

Box: Stay on imposition of cow cess on power bills

The local bodies department has also put a stay on the recovery of Rs 2 paise per unit cow cess on electricity bills of city residents despite the fact that other MCs are already recovering this amount. the department has applied brakes on the same as the proposal was also approved through TAC.