GUWAHATI: The Assam government has amended a section Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 to allow transportation of cattle from one district to another, which was barred earlier, informed Ashok Singhal, State Cabinet Minister.
"Cattle Bill has been amended to allow transportation of cattle from one district to another, though it will not be allowed in districts having an international border," said Singhal on Friday.
The decision taken following reports that people in villages are facing hurdles in selling their cattle and their transportation even from one village to another village.
The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill,2021 says that the sale of beef or its products will not be allowed in areas that have a predominant population of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and other non-beef-eating communities or within a radius of five km of any temple, satra (Vaishnavite monastery), or other religious institutions belonging to Hindus, or any other institution or area as may be prescribed by the competent authority.
The bill provides for the protection of cattle by regulating their "slaughter, consumption, illegal transportation". It seeks to replace Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950.
The Cattle Preservation Bill passed has been passed in the Assam Assembly on August 13. The bill was passed by a voice vote in the state assembly. The bill aims for making the cow protection law identical to other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.
CM Sarma stated that the new bill incorporates legal provisions to control the slaughter, utilization, and transportation of cattle According to the new law for the main offense, a person can be surrendered imprisonment of up to eight years and a fine of Rs 8 lakh and for the subsequent offense, the punishment will be double the penalty.
Further, the Assam government has proposed sex-sorted artificial insemination to ensure more production of cows than bulls.
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