Bhubaneswar: Cases of cow slaughter and smuggling have gone up significantly in last five years in Odisha and the government is now taking concrete steps against offenders, Minister of State for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Gokulananda Mallik said on Wednesday.
Replying to a question in the Assembly regarding steps taken to check the rising number of cattle smuggling cases, the Minister stated between 2019 and 2023, the number of registered cases saw a dramatic surge.
While 139 cases were registered in 2019, altogether 267 cases were registered the following year, 371 in 2021, 386 in 2022 and 620 in 2023. This reflects the perilous state of cattle protection laws in the state during the last few years, Mallik said.
The state government has formed an inter-ministerial committee headed by Deputy CM, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy department to brainstorm guidelines for promotion of dairy farming and ensuring cow protection in the state.
Regarding a PIL filed by an organisation seeking steps for cow safety, he said the matter is still sub-judice.
Meanwhile, the Cuttack Rural Police rescued over 500 cattle, including cows, oxen, and bulls in a major crackdown on smuggling activities in Baramana Reserve Forest near Karadapalli village under Tigiria police station on Tuesday.
Sources said the operation was led by Cuttack Rural SP Prateek Singh, supported by Additional SP, two DSPs, and four platoons of police personnel.
Singh said police received information about cattle being brought to the forest near Karadapalli for trafficking. During the interception of vehicles on roads, it became evident that many cattle were being hidden in the forest for smuggling purposes.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of senior officers conducted a raid and found over 500 cattle hidden in the forest. The rescued animals will be handed over to gaushalas and similar facilities to ensure their proper care.
Preliminary investigation suggest that the cattle were being prepared for transportation to other locations.
Stating that a zero-tolerance policy is adopted towards cattle trafficking, Singh said stringent action will be taken against those involved in such illegal activities.
