The Indian Express               23.08.2013

Rs 35 lakh spent, no respite

It has been decided to increase the number of cattle catching teams to tackle the menace.

The Municipal Corporation embarked on the venture to send stray cattle to cattle sheds in different areas after the death of a Sector 45 resident whose two-wheeler rammed a stray cattle in April this year. It was decided that since cattle sheds in the city were full to capacity and there was no space to keep stray cattle there, these need to be sent out. After much controversy on the issue, a team comprising the Mayor, councillors and officials visited some cattle sheds.

Around 1,000 stray cattle have been sent out since then. Municipal Corporation pays Rs 2,000 per stray cattle to the management of the cow sheds where these are sent. Trucks are hired for the transportation of the cattle with each truck having a capacity of six. The cost of transporting each cattle boils down to between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500. Funds have also been spent to renovate the cow sheds.

Mayor Subhash Chawla said, "The MC has spent close to Rs 35 lakh for transporting stray cattle outside the city. As per estimates, there are still 1,500 stray cattle left to be transportated. However, now there are additional stray cattle. Sometimes cattle that is being caught belongs to residents of the city or the adjoining areas."

It was been decided that the rule to not release cattle once caught from municipal limits would be strictly followed. Cattle is not allowed to be kept in villages under the Municipal Corporation. However, villagers still keep them. Problems are also being faced from the sectors that share boundary with Punjab.

After another death in the city due to stray cattle, a meeting of the Mayor with the Municipal Commissioner was held on Thursday. It has been decided that the number of cattle catching teams would be increased. Apart from the 38 teams that are there at present, 25 more would be constituted. Help would also be sought from the police for the drives.

Decision has further been taken that people from other wings of the Municipal Corporation would be made part of the cattle catching teams. There are speculations that prior to the drive, the information was leaked. To keep a tab, staff in other wings would be deployed.