Bhandara dy collector permits bullock cart race, backtracks

Nagpur: In a blatant violation of the Supreme Court orders and later supported by Bombay High Court, the Bhandara deputy collector permitted bullock carts’ race known as ‘shankarpat’ in local parlance in Lakhandur in Bhandara district.
The race was inaugurated in Masal village by none other than assembly speaker and Congress MLA from Sakoli, Nana Patole in the presence of a huge crowd. Repeated attempts to contact Patole proved futile. His videos addressing the gathering and pictures from the site went viral on social media on Sunday.
The apex court in its observations has already said that conducting bullock cart races, which are not anatomically designed, subject animals to pain and suffering. The Bombay High Court, too, supported the view while hearing a PIL filed by Ajay Marathe in 2017.
Despite the Supreme Court ban, Bhandara deputy collector Bodwad issued permission for the race on January 31 under political pressure. The permission was issued when district collector MJ Pradip Chandren and additional collector Vilas Thakre were on leave. Bodwad did not respond to calls.
On January 31, Masal deputy sarpanch Rupesh Govinda Pillewan had applied for permission from the collector’s office on the condition that the organizers will follow all the rules proposed in the Maharashtra Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (conduct of bullock cart race) Rules, 2017.
These rules intended not to cause pain and suffering to animals during the race. However, then Chief Justice Dr Manjulla Chellur & Justice NM Jamdar in their order issued on October 11, 2017, had said, “The rules framed by the state government will not take away observations of the apex court which stated that till the PIL is disposed of on merit, no races should be conducted within the state of Maharashtra and no such permission should be granted by any of the authorities, even after notifying the rules.”
However, the deputy collector seems to be unaware of the PIL in the Bombay High Court and issued permission with certain conditions for the race in a single day. The two-day race was opened by Patole on Sunday.
When Bodwad learnt about the Bombay High Court order, he cancelled the permission on Sunday late afternoon by issuing a letter to the deputy sarpanch. But by the time permission was cancelled, all the arrangements were made and Patole was delivering his inaugural speech. Surprisingly, despite the cancellation letter being issued on February 1, the event took place on February 2.
“We posted a tehsildar to ensure that the event is cancelled,” said a top revenue department official. Till filing of this report it was not confirmed whether the race was called off.