Mangaluru : Minister for Animal Husbandry Haj and Wakf Prabhu B. Chavan said the State government intends to have at least two Gou Shalas in each taluk of the State to protect cattle from slaughter.

Speaking to reporters after a review meeting at the office of the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner on Tuesday, Mr. Chavan said that the State government has passed the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Ordinance, which is a strong law against slaughter of cattle. “We need to take care of cattle for which we need at least two Gou Shalas in each taluk. One of these Gou Shalas should be managed by the government. For the other such Gou Shala, the government will give grants,” Mr. Chavan said.

While stating his intention to follow the Uttar Pradesh Government’s way of taking care of cattle wherein the government has opened 11 lakh Gou Shalas, Mr. Chavan said that with shortfall in the revenue of the State government, it is difficult to get more funds.img

“But, I am trying to get more allocation for animal husbandry in the forthcoming budget,” he said.

The Minister said that he will also address problems of Gou Shalas in getting grants from the government.

During the meeting, Mr. Chavan asked the police not to book cases against those who give information about illegal transportation of cattle. Whenever incidents of illegal cattle transportation are reported, the police should register an FIR, he said. He directed officials from the Animal Husbandry Department and elected representatives to hold programmes to make people aware of the ordinance passed by the government.

Superintendent of Police B.M. Laxmi Prasad said that there is a need to have a designated vehicle in each taluk for transportation of cattle.

While asking the district administration to take action against illegal slaughterhouses operating in Mangaluru, Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath said that the police should have a check-post to prevent illegal slaughter at abattoir in Kudroli. Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty expressed the need for a mechanism to test the meat that was being brought illegally into the city from neighbouring districts.