The Indian Express             27.08.2013

MC teams catch 138 head of cattle; villagers protest

Overcrowded: The cow pond in Industrial Area, phase-I, Chandigarh, on Monday. Jaipal Singh

The cattle catching drive of the Municipal Corporation continued on
Monday with 138 head of stray cattle being caught. With the number of
stray cattle caught exceeding the space available with the MC,
additional five acres would now be utilised for the purpose. The cattle
would be sent out of the city.

However, protests were witnessed at the MC office with villagers
alleging that the cattle caught were not stray, but picked from their
residences.

The drive by the MC was held at Dadumajra, Ramdarbar, Hallomajra,
Kajheri, Airport Chowk and Colony Number 5. One stray animal reportedly
died as attempts were being made to catch it.

Near Dadumajra, as the cattle catchers surrounded the cattle, the
cows entered the colony causing problems in catching them. Around 140
people from MC including staff of Medical Officer of Health, enforcement

wing and the road wing along with 80 policemen carried out the drive.

Shelter for cattle

With the space available with the Municipal Corporation to keep
the cattle being limited, five acres of land at Industrial Area where a
tile factory existed would be utilised for the purpose. The cattle shed
in Sector 45 has a capacity to house 350 animals while another in Maloya
has the capacity for 400 animals. The cattle pound at the Industrial
Area can hold 150 stray cattle at a time.

With around 400 cattle caught since Friday, additional space was
required to keep these. The civic body proposes to send the cattle to
Barsana in UP after Janmashtami. Already stray cattle have been shifted
to cattle sheds in Delhi. Cattle would be sent to Barsana in trucks with
each loaded with six animals. Doctors and other staff would also
accompany the trucks.

Protests held

Villagers held a protest at the MC office, claiming that the
staff took away cattle that were tied at their residences instead of
that roaming on the roads. Mayor Subhash Chawla assured that he would
ask the officials to look into the allegations.

The protesters were led by Congress leaders. In fact, in an earlier
protest held at the MC office, it was the Congress leaders who were
leading the protesters. With the Mayor being from the Congress, he is
not getting support of his party for the campaign. As arguments ensued
in his office over the issue, the Mayor stated that he would call a
party meeting so that the stand of the party could be cleared.

The General House of the MC in a resolution mooted in a meeting
in 2011 had stated that cattle would not be allowed to remain in the
municipal limits. This would imply that the owners would have to shift
the stray cattle out. It was demanded that time be given to the owners
for this. Some villagers claimed that they had permission from the
administration for construction of a cattle shed.

Due to several protests held at MC officer, police personnel were present in the Mayor’s room for the better part of the day.