Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 23: Time and again, Jammu and Kashmir police claims to foil bovine smuggling bids and get appreciation as well but behind these photo-options, no one talks about the plight of seized bovines left to roam on roads to eat garbage.
According to sources, whenever the police officials catch the smugglers, they organize a photo session and issue press releases. "The good job ends there. The seized bovines are set free to eat garbage," people said.
"As per law the police has to hand over the seized bovines to some farmer, who should provide them fodder and also utilize their services for farming but these days, police find it very difficult to find some farmer, who will take care of these animals", sources said.
Sources further informed that to get rid of these helpless animals, police abandons them on roads. "The nakas which are famous in foiling bovine smuggling bids are also notorious for abandoning these seized cattle. Along national highway in Kathua, you can find some oxen, which are not local breeds but are seized animals. Due to shortage of fodder and grazing areas, these cattle ultimately roam along roads or in markets, where they are forced to eat garbage and plastic bags", a local said, adding that the situation turned worse for farmers, who have to watch their crops round the clock, due to increased number of stray cattle. An official said that seizing of bovine animals was easy but to upkeep them was a tough job, which police usually didn't do. "After saving them from the clutches of the smugglers, the police ultimately push these cattle towards starvation by throwing them on roads and markets. A concrete policy must be made to upkeep these helpless animals, who also have rights", an official said. |
