Chandigarh MC to prepare action plan for maintenance of gaushalas

Five days after the death of over 50 cows was reported outside the carcass incinerator centre at Raipur Kalan, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has started the work for preparing standard operating procedures for the maintenance of the gaushalas in Chandigarh.

Sources said that the procedures would be placed before the next meeting of the municipal corporation likely to be held next month after the election of the Mayor. They further said that the SOPs would cover everything from diet chart to providing medical care to the gaushalas. The MC has started discussion with all stakeholders related with the management of the gaushalas.

The civic body has also sought the help of the Animal Husbandry Department, seeking suggestions on medical care and practices regarding the feeding of cattle in gaushalas. It has also sought suggestions for appointing the staff, which will have proper training for taking care of the gaushalas. The procedures will also tell the number of staff to be appointed for taking care of the cows. Chandigarh currently has six gaushalas at the Industrial Area, Maloya, Raipur Kalan and Sectors 45 and 25.

After the incident, Gulab Chand Kataria, Administrator, also conducted an inspection of the gaushalas and the incinerator facility located at Raipur Kalan after the incident. He gave directions for taking steps to provide better facilities to cows. He directed that detailed information regarding manpower deployment at each gaushala, including veterinary doctors, para-veterinary staff and other supporting personnel, along with their daily rosters, must be prominently displayed.

The plant, which had been non-functional since January 11, was repaired and restarted on Sunday. An officer of the MC said that the disposal of carcasses had started at the plant.

Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Taruna Mehta has written a letter to UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, demanding the formation of a Gau Seva Ayog. Mehta said in the letter that such commissions were already functioning in several states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for the care of cattle and monitoring of cowsheds, which had improved the condition of gaushalals. In contrast, in a city like Chandigarh, there is still no such commission.