Team Herald
PANJIM: The Bombay High Court at Goa has directed the State government to file status report on action plan regarding the stray cattle menace on roads.
While hearing a miscellaneous civil application filed by Kabir Gama Roy, the division bench granted time to the additional government advocate to file status report on action plan regarding stray cattle on behalf of the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services.
During the last hearing, the court had asked the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Directorate of Municipal Administration and the Directorate of Panchayats to file their status report.
It is learnt that the Directorate of Municipal Administration has identified nine hot spots while, the Directorate of Panchayats had identified 13 hot spots across the State.
Both the departments have also signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gomantak Gouseva Mahasang, Mayem for impounding and maintaining cattle under the Animal Husbandry Stray Cattle Management Scheme. And have also employed pound keepers to keep a regular watch and to drive away the stray cattle from the roads and hot spots
The Directorate of Panchayats has alsdo identified land at Bhomsa-Adcolna, Curti-Khandepar and Usgao-Ganjem village panchayats for housing stray cattle while, the Directorate of Municipal Administration is also in the process of resolving a dispute between the Sanguem municipal council and Kalay village panchayat regarding a land belonging to the municipality and situated in the village panchayat.
The Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary services is also in the process of setting up cattle pounds with the help of NGOs and Animal Welfare Foundation.
The Gomantak Gouseva Mahasang, Mayem has already started a drive and has removed stray cattle from the roads at Bambolim, Karaswada-Mapusa and Mopa. The pound keepers are first blocking the stray cattle found on the road and then transport them to Goushalas. They stop stray cattle coming on road again by blocking them till they are lifted and taken to Goushala.
The matter has now been posted for further hearing on December 2.