Beef was scarce Wednesday as there were no supplies of beef in the market after the closure of Goa Meat Complex and transporters blockade.

Prices of chicken remained stable, but prices of fish and vegetable especially those of beans rose.

Govt to approach High Court on cattle slaughter issue

PANJIM: The government is proposing to approach the High Court to remove restrictions imposed by it on the slaughter of animals in Goa, and possibly allow it with conditions.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that he would give a more detailed reply to the House Thursday, while clarifying that the restrictions pertain to slaughter of buffaloes.

He said that cow slaughter is banned anyway by Central and State laws and there is no permission for slaughter of cows in Goa.

While the High Court has constituted a committee over the issue of slaughter of animals in Goa, the chief minister said he will ask the Advocate General to speed up the report.

While he was told that there is already a committee previously appointed to look into this issue, Parrikar said that the High Court is the court of the land. “The government cannot discard its directives in the matter even though there are anomalies,” he said.

Parrikar told the House that laws came into force in 1985 and 1995 over ban on cow slaughter even before the BJP came to power. “There is no permission in Goa for cow slaughter as per three laws of 1978, 1981 and 1995 with regards to ban on cow slaughter, prevention of cruelty to animals, preservation of animals,” Parrikar said.

He was replying to a Zero Hour notice by Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal.