Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

`Check illegal cross-border cattle transport'

Special Correspondent

To prevent unauthorised slaughter

Thiruvananthapuram: The Animal Welfare Board has urged the State Government to take immediate measures to check the illegal transport of cattle from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and prevent unauthorised slaughter and sale of meat.

Board member S.K. Mittal who was in the city recently submitted a letter to Minister for Animal Husbandry C. Divakaran, requesting the Government to modernise all inter-State border animal check-posts. Mr. Mittal, who is the chairman of the board's Kerala sub-committee, said inspection of the records maintained at the 17 check-posts under the Animal Husbandry Department had revealed gross violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, the Motor Vehicles Act and the Kerala Motor Vehicles Rules.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr. Mittal said the health certificates for transport of cattle issued by authorities in the neighbouring States were found to have been forged. "Mandatory equipment like veterinary first-aid kits were absent, the cattle were crammed into vehicles and they were not given proper food and water. The animals were not properly tethered to the vehicle or provided adequate floor space."

Mr. Mittal said he had appealed to the Minister for steps to check illegal slaughter of animals. "The State has 44 licensed abattoirs but 889 unauthorised slaughterhouses. Many of them are owned benami by municipal councillors. The animals are butchered in unhygienic conditions. The proliferation of unauthorised units is a huge loss of revenue to the exchequer. They also pose a grave public health hazard," he said.

Mr. Mittal said even licensed abattoirs in the State lacked statutory facilities for ante-mortem and post-mortem to check for diseases.

The board has proposed that all animal check-posts carry display boards with information of the relevant Act and rules. It has suggested that veterinarians be posted at all check-posts. A network of mobile check-posts is another major proposal.

Mr. Mittal highlighted the need to revive the SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in all districts and equip them to check violations of the PCA Act and rules. The letter proposed that the amount collected as fines, grants and donation be used to pay SPCA inspectors.

The board has also urged the Government to set up animal shelters in all districts to stem the depletion of the livestock population in the State and save precious breeds such as the Vechoor Cow from extinction. "Top-level coordination between the Animal Husbandry, Police, Transport, Forest, Commercial Taxes, Law and Local Self-Government departments is essential to check cruelty to animals and ensure safe and hygienic conditions for slaughter and sale of meat," said Mr. Mittal.

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