DAIRY DIARIES

Amid ruckus, the Haryana assembly tabled amendments to bills related to the sale and transport of cattle in urban areas. The Opposition has said the government should build dairy complexes to keep these animals

- Shivam Sharma

ON March 1, there was a ruckus in the Haryana assembly over amendments related to the sale and transport of cattle in urban areas. It aimed at making a provision for a six-month jail term for those keeping such animals without a licence issued by civic bodies. Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister Kamal Gupta, during the ongoing Budget Session of the assembly, tabled the Haryana Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2022, and the Haryana Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 for discussion.

Congress MLAs Bibi Batra, Varun Chaudhary, Neeraj Sharma, Aftab Ahmed, Jagbir Malik and Shamsher raised questions on the amendment Bills. Seeing the objections of the Opposition, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave his consent to send both Bills to a Select Committee of the assembly. The Committee will submit its report in two months. It will include four MLAs from the BJP, three from the Congress, one each from the Jannayak Janta Party and independents.

Bibi Batra said that before implementing the law allowing milch cattle-rearing in cities or removing dairies, the government should build dairy complexes where people can keep these animals. Aftab Ahmed said that the Bills should be sent to the Select Committee, whereas another Congress leader Neeraj Sharma said that a law should be made after making a dairy colony, in which case he would not oppose it.

Independent MLA Somveer Sangwan said that it was not clear in the bill how many animals the government would allow people to keep in cities. There are also rural municipalities too like Sisay where many people keep cattle. Therefore, the Bills should be sent to the Select Committee, he said.