Bikram Majithia says all steps taken by SAD-BJP govt to create and maintain gaushalas and cattle pounds had been withdrawn by Cong govt
Says even cow cess not being used to handle stray cattle
Chandigarh, August 17, 2019: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked the Congress government to take emergent steps to protect the life and property of Punjabis from the menace of stray cattle, saying all steps taken by the previous SAD-BJP government to create and maintain gaushalas and cattle pounds had been withdrawn and even cow cess taken from the people was not being used to handle stray cattle.
In a statement here, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the State had witnessed scores of gruesome deaths at the hands of stray bulls besides accidents due to stray cattle in the last few months. “Farmers are also at the end of their tether with whole fields being laid to waste across the State. Towns and cities are facing an acute crisis with cattle roaming free and spoiling green belts besides causing traffic hazards on State highways”.
Mr Majithia said stray bulls and cattle had also accounted for nearly 500 deaths in the past two and a half years with the last one month witnessing a steep increase in such cases across the State. “A police official, several youth and even businessmen have fallen prey to this menace but the government has not lifted a single finger to address this most serious issue”.
Giving further details, the former minister said during the earlier SAD-BJP government chief minister Sardar Parkash Singh Badal had taken a series of pioneering steps to ensure the welfare of cows as well as ensure they do not become a civic menace. He said this including establishment of the Punjab Gau Sewa Commission which was dismantled when the Congress government took over the reins of the State. He said besides this the SAD-BJP government had released Rs 40 crore for establishment of stray cattle pounds in nearly all districts of the State. “Another Rs 32 crore was earmarked for construction of ten sheds each at all the government cattle pounds but the Congress government did not release this money”.
Mr Majithia said this was not all. The Congress government had also discontinued free power facility given to 472 private gaushalas which was extended by the SAD-BJP government to enable them to house large number of stray cattle. He said gaushalas were also not being funded. He said the Congress government was also guilty of not using cow cess which had been imposed on power, liquor, fuel and vehicles to tackle the stray cattle menace. “The situation can be gauged from the fact that despite a hue and cry in chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s hometown Patiala after four persons died in one month due to stray cattle menace the Mayor expressed helplessness to deal with the problem saying he did not have any funds. This despite Rs 3.85 crore being received by the Municipal Corporation as cow cess. It is clear that money collected on account of cow cess is being misused”, Mr Majithia said adding this was the situation across the State also.
Asking the Congress government to wake up from its slumber, the Akali leader demanded development of further stray cattle pounds, free power to gaushalas on the pattern of the SAD-BJP government and judicial use of cow cess to tackle the problem of cattle menace. Mr Majithia said the SAD would also hold discussions with farmers and urbanities on this issue and would force the Congress government to address this at the earliest.