Jind khap demands steps to curb cattle menace

Jind, February 8

The Majra khap panchayat served an ultimatum to the district administration to check the menace of stray cattle which damaged standing crops by entering the fields in several villages of the region. The khap panchayat said farmers had been suffering losses as the herd of stray cattle entered the fields and destroyed the crops. Besides, the stray animals were also becoming the reason for road accidents on the highways and urban areas.

Gurwinder Singh Sandhu, pradhan of the Majra Khap, said they had also raised the issue with the state government in the past. “Stray cattle are taken into gaushalas, but later freed by the gaushala authorities. In fact, the gaushalas do not have adequate budget to bear the expenses of keeping the cows,” he said. There are 14 villages in the Majra khap panchayat comprising Khokhri, Haibapur, Nirjan, Pindara, Pathri, Roopgarh, Julani to name some.

The khap panchayat said they had also taken up the issue with the administration earlier also. “The administration even issued a contract to catch the stray cattle at the rate of Rs 480 per cow and sent it to the guashalas after tagging the animals. But It seems that these cows have been released from the gaushalas as many of these are seen wandering on the roads and fields wearing tags”, he stated.

They had served an ultimatum to the district administration to take measures to curb the menace. “After a week, the farmers will take these stray animals to the houses of the district officials,” the Sandhu said. The khap leader said they submitted the memorandum to the Tehsildar regarding their demands.