Ensure there are no cows on roads: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation directs administrative wing

AHMEDABAD: The standing committee of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has directed the administrative wing of the civic body to ensure that no cows were spotted on roads. Sources said that the corporation is unlikely to release the impounded cows this Janmasthami.
The standing committee chairman Amul Bhatt said that during the meeting it was informed that there was a severe cow menace in Thakarbapa Nagar area and hence the AMC team should impound the cattles.
Bhatt said that the political wing also informed the administrative wing that the political wing will not interfere. Bhatt said the so far the AMC was impounding about 20 cattles in a day which has been increased to 70 cattles.
“We have asked to be more vigil and have asked them to increase force for removing all cattle from the road,” said Bhatt.
The Committee has also made it clear that it was of the opinion that no cattle will be released during the forthcoming Janmasthami festival. “We had in 2018 decided not to release cows that were impounded and hence this year too we will adopt the similar policy,” he said.
In the past several hundred cows that were impounded during the year were released by the AMC on the festival following demands by the maldhari community. A committee member refusing to be quoted said “The Gujarat high court has repeatedly rebuked us and police for letting cattle roam on roads, blocking traffic and heightening risks for commuters. At each hearing, the civic body promised to deal with the problem. Yet, even today when Amdavadis drive, roads resemble pastures where cattle herds make hay on the city roads.”