Now, owner to pay Rs1L for death caused by stray cattle

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 18

Following the recent accidents and deaths across the state due to stray animals and dog bites, the Punjab Government has invited objections to insert new bylaws according to which “the owner of every animal kept or brought within the urban local bodies, shall, on or before April 1 each year or within seven days of its arrival in the area, get the animal registered at the office of the civic body, failing which a penalty of 10 times the registration fee for such animals shall be imposed” on the owner.

On October 12, the Model Punjab Municipal (registration, proper control of stray animals and compensation to the victim of animal attack) bylaws, 2020, was notified. “After the expiry of the registration period, the owner shall apply for it within a period of 30 days, failing which a penalty of amount so fixed by the urban local body concerned shall be compounded upon the owner for renewal,” say the new laws.

The owner shall, along with the application for registration or renewal, produce before the licensing authority a certificate from a veterinary doctor that the animal was free from any infectious diseases and fit to be kept within residential/commercial premises meant for the purpose. “On registration, the owner shall get the animal tagged with a token given by the licensing authority or by any other suitable method of permanent identification as may be specified according to the type of animal, under the supervision of a veterinary doctor at owner’s cost, and the branding code shall be recorded in the registration record of the committee/corporation,” claim the new bylaws.

“Any animal with or without branding code of registration, if found straying on the streets or beyond the enclosure of the house of the owner, may be detained in cattle pound at the direction of person authorised by the committee/ corporation and shall be disposed of in the manner as may be decided by the committee/ corporation, if not claimed within a week,” read the new rules.

A senior official said a fee would be liable and recoverable from the owner for such period of detention of the animal in the cattle pound or at a place specified by the committee/corporation, as per the rates notified by the committee/ corporation from time to time. In addition to the fee, feed charges for impounded animal during the period of impounding shall also be charged,” he stated.

As per the new rules, no one, being the owner or person in-charge of any animal, shall allow it to be at large in any public street or public place without being muzzled and without being secured by the chain lead in any case in which the animal was likely to annoy or intimidate any person.