Now, feeding cattle on city roads to attract penalty

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 20

The Municipal Corporation has imposed a ban on throwing green fodders to feed stray cattle on roads.

Now, civic body officials will issue challans to those who will throw green fodders on roads.

The MC said from now onwards, a person had to visit gaushalas to feed fodders to cattle. Besides, it can be kept in trolleys stationed outside fodder shops, which visit the gaushalas.

On the first occasion, a fine of Rs500 will be imposed on the violators. Second time, the fine will be Rs10,000.

A sanitary team of the civic body will initiate action against the violators. Recently, the team had visited green fodder shops and issued challans to them. Some shop owners got warning.

The step has been taken as it has come to light that throwing fodder to stray cattle on roads in the city has become a common practice. It encourages stray cattle to gather at one spot to feed the fodder.

In the past two months, six persons were killed and 63 were injured in road accidents involving stray cattle in the city.

The stray cattle menace disrupts the smooth flow of traffic in the city. It is pose a threat to the lives of commuters. Stray cattle can be seen roaming freely and eating garbage littered on the roads.

A number of fodder sellers with bulky sacks of grass can be spotted on roadsides on national highways. They sell fodder for Rs10 to Rs50, depending upon the quantity, to commuters who in turn, feed it to stray cattle roaming on the roads. Residents were demanding a ban on the sale of fodder on roads.