Take stern steps against cattle theft: Karnataka minister to district officials

Considering the issue of a series of cattle thefts in coastal districts, Minister for Animal Husbandry Prabhu B Chouhan has urged the administrations of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada to take stern measures.

In a letter to the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of three coastal districts, the minister urged to constitute Gau Raksha Samithis to ensure that such incidents of cattle theft do not recur in three districts.

“The district administrations and police should take measures to prevent instances of cattle thefts reported in these districts. I have read in the media reports on the increase in incidents of cattle theft being reported in the coastal districts.

"There is a need to constitute Gau Raksha Samithis under the guidance of deputy commissioner/superintendent of police, to keep an eye on vehicles transporting cattle illegally. The police patrolling should be increased along with setting up additional check posts that function round the clock to check the illegal transportation of cattle," said the Minister.

"There should be a fear among those who are engaged in illegal transportation of cattle. There is a need to instil confidence among those who rear cattle in their houses for livelihood, by ensuring sufficient protection to the cows reared by them,” the minister said in his letter.

The minister directed that an agreement between those who are selling cattle and one who buys the cattle for rearing should be written on stamp papers.

Details of the cattle transportation with time should be mentioned in the agreement. Similarly, photographs of the cattle with date on it should be shown to the police while transporting the cattle. The police should allow such vehicles only after verifying documents and photographs, the minister said.

He lamented that the instances of illegal cattle transportation continued despite the Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act being implemented in Karnataka. The minister directed the authorities to book habitual offenders involved in illegal transportation of cattle under the provisions of the Goonda Act and also take steps to extern them. This will in turn help in preventing illegal trafficking of cattle. The DP and SP in the coastal districts should take necessary steps in this direction, he said.

The Minister directed the DC and SP to make police personnel and staff of an area responsible if they fail to protect the cattle from cattle thieves and also write to the government recommending stringent action against them.

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