Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday tabled the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, on the first day of the 126-member Assembly’s Budget session.
The State Cabinet had a week ago approved the Bill seeking to ban the transport of cattle within as well as to and from Assam, ostensibly to stop smuggling to Bangladesh.
The Bill would replace existing the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950, which allowed the slaughter of cattle above the age of 14 after approval from local veterinary officers.
“Provided that the State government may exempt certain places of worship or certain occasions for the slaughter of cattle other than calf, heifer and cow for religious purpose… No person shall transport or offer for transport or cause to be transported any cattle without a valid permit from any place of another State through Assam to any place outside the State of Assam, any place within the State of Assam to any place outside the State of Assam where the slaughter of cattle is not regulated by law,” the Bill said.
The Bill also said no person should transport or offer to transport cattle from “any place of another State to any place within the State, slaughter whereof is punishable under this Act”. It had a similar line on moving cattle between any two places within the State.
The Bill added that competent authority may issue permits for the transport of cattle for agricultural or animal husbandry purposes and makes exemptions such as for feeding carnivorous animals in the zoo.
The Bill, if passed, is likely to hit Assam’s Christian-majority north-eastern neighbours, with the Meghalaya government already expressing concern over the possible choking of supply.
“We will take all steps needed to make sure supply is not affected by the Assam law,” Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said.
Many in Meghalaya are dependent on the beef business. The State procures cattle for slaughter mostly from Bihar, West Bengal and Telangana.