Punjab Gau Seva Commission’s Vice Chairman Kimti Bhagat on Monday said that each and every abandon cow across the state would be taken care of as Commission was fully committed to accomplish this task in next few months. The officials have been told to shift these stray cattle to cattle ponds, Gaushalas and other shelters in their respective areas thus safeguarding precious lives from road accidents due to the menace.
Presiding over a meeting with the officials of district administration and representatives of the Gaushala managements at the local administrative complex, Punjab Gau Seva Commission’s Vice Chairman Kimti Bhagat said that as per the instructions given by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann the abandon cattle would be taken care of.
He said that proper maintenance of stray cattle in cowsheds is to be ensured as the Commission was continuously reviewing the process of sending these stray cows to government and private cowsheds as early as possible. He said the series of meetings were being held in different districts so as to realise the meticulous planning.
He also directed the Municipal Corporation Commissioner to ensure that the MC teams must conduct continuous rounds in the city and adjoining areas to shift such cattle to cowsheds. Vice Chairman Kimti Bhagat directed the Animal Husbandry Department’s local deputy director to prepare the cases of the cowsheds where electricity bills are yet to be waived.
The cases should be sent to commission for processing, said Bhagat adding that the team of the department should continuously visit the cowsheds for proper vaccination of the cows and proper treatment of the injured cows. He also instructed the executive officers of the municipal councils of the district to ensure that they release an appropriate amount from collected cow cess to Gaushalas in next few days for the maintenance of the cowsheds falling under their jurisdiction so that the cowsheds can be managed and looked after in a better manner.
Regarding the increase in the amount per cow for fodder and other necessary expenses in Gaushalas kept in government and private cowsheds, Vice Chairman Kimti Bhagat said that the Animal Husbandry Department had issued a notification and increased this amount to Rs. 61 per cow per day, which would provide necessary relief to the cowsheds.
He asked the Municipal Commissioner to take legal action under the Municipal Act against dairy farms that leaves cows on roads. He also instructed the district police that there should be no smuggling of cow and in such cases, strict action should be taken by registering FIRs.
The Vice Chairman assured the representatives from various Gaushalas of the district that the issues raised by them would be resolved on priority basis. Later, he along with the officers visited the cattle pond in the nearby village of Falahi and reviewed the arrangements for cow dung.
On this occasion, Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain, Chairman Improvement Trust Gurbinder Singh Pabla, Chairman Market Committee Jaspal Singh Chechi, Additional Deputy Commissioner Nikas Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner Nidhi Kumud Bambah, Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jyoti Bala Mattu, Assistant Commissioner (Under Training) Gurkanwal Singh, besides senior officers of various departments and managers of the cowsheds were present.