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.
