State to go for total ban on cow slaughter

The government will redraft the 1964 Act

Home Minister V S Acharya told reporters in Bangalore, on Thursday, that the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation (Amendment) Bill -2009, which will be tabled during the forthcoming Legislature Session, proposes to strengthen the provisions of the 1964 Act.

Prevention of slaughter of cow and calves and all milch and draught animals will come under the purview of the amended legislation.

A meeting of representatives of the Home, Law and Animal Husbandry Departments in this regard was held on Thursday.

Acharya said, though the prevention of cow slaughter legislation has been in force for the last four decades it was not enforced effectively. The present Act states that notwithstanding any law, custom, no person shall slaughter or kill any cow or calf of she-buffalo. However, certain exemption are provided.

These include if the animal is over the age of twelve years or has become permanently incapacitated for breeding, draught or giving milk due to injury, deformity or any other cause. A certificate in writing from the veterinary officer appointed for the area is required for slaughter. 

“The government will redraft the provisions to overcome any vagueness. The role of the enforcement agencies and also the punitive clauses will be finalised in the next few days”, he said.

Nine states in the country have imposed total ban on cow slaughter and the Supreme Court has upheld the Constitutional validity of these laws, the Minister said.

The new provisions of the legislation will draw from Article 48 enshrined in the Constitution. The Article states that the “State shall endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall take steps for preserving and improving the breeds as also prohibiting the slaughter of cow and calves and all milch and draught animals”.

Appointments

The State government will initiate the process of recruiting 144 assistant public prosecutors soon. The recruitment process of appointing 400 sub-inspectors will be completed soon, Acharya said. For the first time 25 SIs will be specially absorbed into the Intelligence Wing of the Home Department on a permanent basis.