Cow cess on vehicles, power to be levied in Punjab soon

Chandigarh, May 15

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The Punjab government will soon a levy cess on several items, including vehicles and electricity, for welfare of cows in the state.

“Cow cess on various items will be levied in the state and the amount collected will be spent on cattle and their welfare," Punjab Local Bodies Minister and BJP MLA from Amritsar Anil Joshi said today.

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The Local Bodies department has proposed to levy cow cess at the rate of Rs 1,000 on the purchase of four-wheeler, Rs 500 on purchase of two-wheeler, Rs 100 on oil tanker, 2 paisa per unit of electricity consumption, Rs 1,000 on booking of AC hall of marriage palace, Rs 500 on booking of non-AC hall, Re 1 per cement bag, Rs 10 per bottle of Indian Made Foreign Liquor and Rs 5 per bottle on Punjab Medium Liquor, he said.

The minister said out of 154 municipal councils, 33 have passed the resolution while seven municipal corporations out of 10 have also endorsed the decision to levy cess.

A notification in this regard will be issued by May 25.

The government had approved the proposal for levying cow cess throughout the state in 2014 but the enforcement was pending in all municipal councils and corporations.

In Bathinda, the cow cess was first levied in the year 2009 on experimental basis, while it was imposed in Mohali about three months back. Amritsar Municipal Corporation is yet to pass a resolution in this regard, Punjab Gau Sewa Commission Chairman Keemti Bhagat said.

Bhagat said the state would net around Rs 90-100 crore per annum from the cess, which can be spent on the welfare of cows.

Punjab Gau Sewa Commission said there are 2.69 lakh cows in the state in 472 shelters, while there are 1.06 lakh stray cows.

"In last two years, 280 people lost their lives because of accidents involving stray cattle in the state," Bhagat said.

He said as per the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976, it is the responsibility of municipal bodies to look after cattle in the state. — PTI