Centre Submits To SC Recommendations To Stop Smuggling Of Cattle Across Indo-Bangla Border

The Centre today placed before the Supreme Court recommendation of a committee headed by a senior official of the Home Ministry constituted for chalking out a mechanism to stop cattle smuggling across the India-Bangladesh border.

The recommendations included strengthening of institutional framework, sensitization of enforcement agencies, stern action by animal husbandry department,  setting up of homes with guards for free roaming cattles  and strict implementation of prosecution and penalty rules.

“The committee held three meetings wherein detailed deliberations were held. The committee framed draft recommendations, which were circulated to all stakeholders for comments. Based on the comments received and deliberations held during the meetings, recommendations of the committee have now been finalized and approved “,  Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told a bench of chief justice J S Khehar and justice D Y Chandrachud.

The bench will take a stand on the recommendations tomorrow.

"An order has to be issued. All that we (government) need to do is to put it formally. Give me some time, I will file an affidavit. The committee has given its recommendation," Solicitor General had told the bench on April 3

The court was hearing a plea filed by Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh alleging that there was rampant smuggling of live cattle across the border to Bangladesh, which has led to depletion of cattle wealth of this country.

"The smuggling of cattle across the border of Bangladesh has led to overall disruption of ecosystem and if the cattle wealth of country is depleted, then it shall also have adverse impact on nutrition of populis including children in India," the PIL has said.

The organisation in its PIL has claimed that due to various syndicates operating, the smuggling of cattle is unchecked and rampant on the porous borders of Bangladesh.

It has also said the factum of smuggling of cattle across Indo-Bangla border was also shared by the Centre with various state governments and the measures to tackle the problem do not commensurate with its magnitude.