Team Herald
PANJIM: Cattle owners who have availed various cattle-related schemes will be blacklisted and the scheme subsidies will be recovered from them if their cattle are found to be straying at the public places and roads, a government notification issued on Thursday said.
As per the notification, stray cattle shall be impounded immediately by the concerned authorities and if any animal purchased under the government schemes is found to be straying then the entire subsidy will be recovered from the farmer in toto and the beneficiary will be debarred from availing such schemes in the future.
“Any animal found on public places or public roads unattended to shall be impounded immediately by the concerned authorities under the prevailing rules and regulations of the State. Any animal purchased under the schemes of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services namely Kamdhenu Scheme and Pashupalan Scheme, found to be straying at the public places or roads, then the entire subsidy will be recovered from the farmer in toto and the beneficiary will be debarred from availing the schemes of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services in future,” the notification said.
“Any animal belonging to the farmer or beneficiary availing various other welfare schemes of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, including Milk incentive, Dairy Equipment Scheme, etc., the owner of such animals will be permanently debarred from availing the benefits of government schemes and blacklisted,” the notification added.
The measure has been initiated to curb the growing stray cattle menace in the state which has led to traffic congestion as well as several accidents, some of which have even claimed innocent lives.
During the monsoon session of the State Legislative Assembly last month, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had assured the House that a new law will be introduced in the next Assembly session to address the issue of stray cattle on roads.
He had said that the legislation would hold cattle owners accountable for any accidents caused by their animals.