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Illegal cattle trafficking rampant in Koraput

KORAPUT: Cattle population in Koraput district is facing the danger of extinction for lack of implementation of the control mechanism to prevent their illegal trafficking from the district.

The weekly markets of Jeypore, Kotpad and Jayantgiri in Koraput district and the oldest weekly market at Nowarangpur district headquarter are the prime centres for this trade, said S.K.Takri, Chief District Veterinary Officer (CDVO) of Koraput district. Expressing concern over the growing transportation of cattle mostly weak cows and buffaloes into Andhra Pradesh, he said almost all of them were led to the slaughterhouses in Hyderabad and some destinations in Kerala. Even though this painful trade offers some respite for tribals who were offered Rs. 1,000-Rs 2,000 in lieu of their poor-fed cattle, the real pain begins when they were forced to walk hundreds of miles to Manapuram weekly market in Andhra Pradesh from where they get transported by trucks, he added.

Every week 500 to 1000 cattle heads are made to walk from the district, out of which more than 50 get killed for flesh and skin well before they could cross the state boarder, sources said.

Some of them also die on the road not withstanding the pain of the long walk .

However there are laws to prevent the illegal traders from purchasing these cattle and making them walk was also not allowed under law, said Mr.Takri .

But for lack of an integrated approach among enforcing agencies in the Government, the law could not be enforced in the district.

There was a remote effort made to bring a halt to this practice by the district administration last year when more than 200 cattle had died on the road .

Traders without valid licence were prevented from carrying out the business and further all the cattle should be transported by truck and not by walk, Mr.Takri added.

But for various reasons this could not be enforced in the markets for long.

However if this practice of negligence was allowed to continue, there would not be a single cattle-head left in near future in the district despite providing assistance to people to purchase cattle under various schemes of the Government, people felt.

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