Headlines
Haryana to impose complete ban on beef
Chandigarh, March 14
The Haryana government will impose a complete ban on the sale of beef in any form in the state, a minister said on Saturday.
"The
ban covers canned beef also, which was legal during the tenure of
previous (Congress) state government. The state government is engaged in
framing a stringent law to clamp a complete ban on cow slaughter that
will be presented in the (ongoing) budget session of the Haryana Vidhan
Sabha," agriculture and animal husbandry minister O.P. Dhankar said
here.
The BJP government in Haryana, headed by Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar, has a majority in the assembly and the proposed
bill is all set to be made into law.
Dhankar said that the "Gau
Sanrakshan Avam Gau Samwardhan" law, which is being framed after
studying the related laws in different states, would be more stringent.
"It
would have provision of 10 years' imprisonment if found guilty of cow
slaughter. Action would also be taken against the driver of the vehicle
carrying beef and the vehicle would be impounded," he said.
Dhankar clarified that there was no move to book people under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code for cow slaughter.
"The
news, being telecast by some TV channels, that under the new law a case
would be registered under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code against
the person found guilty of cow slaughter is wrong. There will be no such
provision in the law. The law would only aim at the protection and
promotion of cows," he said.
There are about three lakh cows in
400 "gaushalas" (cow sheds) across the state. Apart from this, about 1.5
lakh are stray cows and 1 lakh cows are being reared by people in their
houses.
"There is a proposal to set up cow reserves for these
1.5 lakh stray cows for which land is being identified. Cow reserves or
sanctuaries would be set up in any district of the state adjoining
Rajasthan," he added.