The Indian Express               08.10.2013

MC to send stray cattle to pounds in Garhshanker and Nawanshahr

After trucks carrying stray cattle were torched while transporting them to Barsana, the Municipal Corporation has found a solution closer home. The civic body on Monday signed an MoU for sending stray cattle to pounds in Garhshanker and Nawanshahr. A total of 1,000 heads of cattle would be sent.

These pounds are managed by Swami Krishnanand. Around 1,100 acres is available for the pounds. Earlier MC had paid Rs 2,000 per head of cattle to cattle pounds but now Rs 3,500 would be paid. For approval of the same, the issue would be taken up in the meeting of the Finance and Contract Committee.

A MC team comprising Mayor Subhash Chawla, Joint Commissioner Rajiv Gupta and superintendent of slaughter house of MC visited the cattle pounds on Monday. Following this the MoU was signed.

"With cattle to be sent to Punjab, it is not a sensitive area. We are hopeful that transportation would be made available. If not, the MC can arrange for vehicles. An amount of Rs 35 lakh has been allocated for dealing with stray cattle so the process of transportation can be started immediately," Chawla said.

He added that the cattle pound were found to be satisfactory during the visit. There is ample open space and natural sources of water. Segregation of cattle is done and storage facilities for storage are available. He added that by the end of the year, the city is likely to become cattle free.

At present, cattle pound in the city is overflowing with stray cattle. The new cattle pound that is being build by the MC at Industrial Area is not ready yet. The drive of the MC to catch stray cattle and send these to cattle pounds in different places received a setback when 17 trucks carrying stray cattle to Barsana were torched in Haryana. This brought the process of sending cattle out at an halt. Transporters also expressed their unwillingness to make trucks available for the purpose.