Mohali: Letting cattle out to cost owners Rs 5,000

MOHALI: The municipal corporation's move to impose a fine of Rs 20,000 on dairy owners who let their cattle out on streets has not have the desired results. Following this, now, the MC has now rolled back the fine from Rs 20,000 to Rs 5,000. The MC caught 332 cattle heads in the past few months, but no one came forward to get them released by paying Rs 20,000 fine.
The idea was mooted on October 15, 2018, which got approval on December 28, 2018, when the Punjab government gave a nod to the MC to impose a fine of Rs 20,000. But in all these months the MC caught 332 heads of cattle and the cattle pound started overflowing with cattle, causing infections and death in some cases.
Citing such reasons, the MC house approved the roll back of the fine amount to Rs 5,000. Mayor Kulwant Singh while proposing the roll back said, "We have seen that none of the owners of the cattle caught came to get their animals released. So, we have decided to roll back the fine to Rs 5000."
Till date, the Mohali civic body in the past five years have caught around 500 stray cattle and have earned a revenue of Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 lakh.
However, Mohali MC commissioner Bhupinder Pal Singh said that only 50 stray cattle have been got released by its owners. The Mohali MC has been charging a fine ranging between Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 with a fodder fine of Rs 500.
Herds of cattle are still seen roaming on Mohali roads resulting in traffic jams and leading to accidents. The residents of Sectors 68, 69, 70, 71, Phases IX, X and XII are up in arms against the municipal corporation as stray cattle have been 'invading' the parks in their community areas. Residents claim that despite repeated complaints, the MC has failed to redress the menace.
'Milch cattle replaced with dry stray cattle'
Allegations are being levelled against the MC officials and cattle pound caretaker of being hand-in-glove with offenders for failing to impose fines of Rs 20,000. Deputy mayor Manjit Singh Sethi and councillor Harpal Singh Channa raised their voices, levelling allegations against cattle pound caretakers, whom they claimed that in connivance with MC officials they replace milch cattle with dry stray cattle.
When the owner comes to get his cattle released, he refuses to take it on the plea that it is not his and does not get it released.
Sethi said, "It is a big scam. Milch cattle is sold to others outside the cattle pound, which is then replaced with dry stray cattle. There is no record of the cattle caught and that is why dairy owners refuse to get the cattle released, saying that the cattle being shown to them is not theirs."
Three-member panel to govern cattle pound
Taking cognizance of the serious allegations, Mayor Kulwant Singh proposed of setting up a three-member committee to supervise the functioning of the cattle pound. The committee to be headed by Sukhdev Singh Patwari, along with Arun Sharma, B B Maini and Ravinder Bindra, has been constituted.
Interestingly, when Mayor asked everyone for voluntarily give their names for membership of the committee, first no one came forward but when the house burst into laughter, then two councillors, Sharma and Bindra raised their hands. Later, Maini and Patwari were asked to join the committee.