HC directs Rohtak civic bodies to pay Rs1 lakh a day for cattle upkeep

CHANDIGARH: Less than two months after an NGO alleged that money for the upkeep of stray animals in Rohtak district had not been paid since January, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed civic bodies of the district to pay Rs 1 lakh per day for the time being.

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 27

Less than two months after an NGO alleged that money for the upkeep of stray animals in Rohtak district had not been paid since January, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed civic bodies of the district to pay Rs 1 lakh per day for the time being.

The amount is in addition to Rs 25 lakh earlier directed to be released.

Justice Paramjeet Singh gave the state the liberty to frame a policy on the maintenance of stray cows. The development took place during the hearing of a petition filed by Akhil Bharatiya Gaushala against Haryana and other respondents.

As a petition hovering around the upkeep of stray cattle came up for hearing, the court said cattle did not belong to the Rohtak Municipal Corporation alone. Rather, they also belonged to the Municipal Councils of Meham and Kalanaur and gram panchayat of Nagina.

Accepting the petitioner’s oral submission, Justice Paramjeet Singh directed: “The Municipal Councils of Meham and Kalanaur through their secretaries and gram panchayat of Nagina through its sarpanch are ordered to be impleaded as respondents to the writ petition.”

Justice Singh directed the state to instruct the Municipal Corporation, Municipal Councils and panchayat concerned to “make payment according to the number of cattle entrusted to the petitioner”.

“The next instalment of Rs 15 lakh shall be paid by respondents within 15 days and thereafter they will continue to pay Rs 15 lakh to the petitioner after every 15 days. The amount paid by the respondents shall be adjustable according to the number of cattle entrusted to the petitioner,” Justice Singh added.

Haryana, on the previous date of hearing, had assured the court it was all set to come out with a policy on the maintenance of cattle, particularly stray cows. The state government, for the purpose, had set a two-month deadline for itself.

The petitioner had earlier told the court the Rohtak Deputy Commissioner had given an undertaking to daily provide Rs 50 per animal for fodder and maintenance expenses for enabling organisations to take care of stray animals, specifically cows, in the district.

But payments have not been made since January. Rather a communication was received, stating they were not in a position to make the payments.

The petitioner’s counsel had further contended they would not be able to make necessary arrangement for fodder and drinking water, if the amount was not paid for maintaining the cattle. “There is possibility of death of the animals due to starvation,” he added.