The development came even as the maldharis in Ahmedabad carried out a protest rally against the demolition order by the Gujarat High Court. (File Photo)The Maldhari Samaj in Surat Friday called off its protest against the municipal corporation’s drive to demolish illegal cattle shelters following Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil’s assurance that no demolition activity would be carried out until Diwali. The move came after members of the Maldhari (herdsmen community) Samaj met the state BJP chief at his office in Ambanagar for a possible solution.
Paatil, who spoke to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in the presence of the community members, accepted all their demands of the community at the meeting. The development came even as the maldharis in Ahmedabad carried out a protest rally against the demolition order by the Gujarat High Court.
“The Maldhari Samaj told us that the animals that are tied in the cattle sheds do not roam on the roads. They know the sheds are illegally built but demanded time from us. In front of them, I talked to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and requested him that the Maldhari Samaj should be given time till Diwali after which a decision of demolition of illegal cattle sheds should be taken,” Paatil, who is an MP from Surat, told The Indian Express.
“We requested him (Paatil) to instruct SMC officials to give us some time so that we can find another suitable place to shift the cattle sheds with the animals. We also told him that we are ready to pay impact fees to get the land we have occupied, regularised. On our request, Paatilji got convinced and told us that till Diwali no demolition activities will be carried out by SMC authorities on illegal cattle sheds in Surat city. Later, an alternate place will be identified. The demolition will be carried out after shifting,” Maldhari Samaj leader Jayram Desai told The Indian Express.
The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had launched a drive from August 24 to August 31 to demolish cattle sheds illegally built on government land. The civic body had also reserved the land in the city for the same and all zone officials were tasked with identifying illegal cattle sheds.
Following this, SMC officials, along with the local police, demolished 222 cattle sheds in all eight zones of the city and seized 1,293 cattle, which were sent to panjrapoles, in the past eight days.
In retaliation to the drive at Dabholi area in the city, members of Maldhari Samaj were on a dharna from August 30 and took out a rally on August 31 to the SMC head office at Mughlisara. They handed over a memorandum to Mayor Hemali Boghawala and Surat Municipal Commissioner B N Pani requesting them to stop the raids and allow them some time.
“We started a drive to impound cattle from August 27 to August 31. We have impounded 391 stray cattle and sent them to panjrapole at Bhestan. Later, we came to know that such cattle sheds were illegally constructed on reservation plots of SMC and government land in Varachha, Katargam, Athwa and Limbayat zones. We have demolished 222 cattle sheds from different zones during these days. Currently, we are planning to build cattle yards at four places in all these zones where such stray cattle can be picked up and sheltered. We have stopped demolition activities as of now and are concentrating on catching the stray cattle,” said SMC deputy commissioner H V Kinkhabwala.
On August 24, the Urban Development Department of the Gujarat government had, on behalf of eight municipal corporations and 156 municipalities, committed to the high court that it would take all measures to mitigate the hardships faced by citizens due to stray cattle. The measures included impounding stray cattle and lodging FIRs. The HC matter is to be heard next on September 5.