Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 11: On frequent occasions, Jammu and Kashmir police claimed to have foiled bovine-smuggling bids but the rescued animals have reportedly been left unattended to ruin the crops of local farmers as there is no proper mechanism in place to properly rehabilitate them or put them in a cattle yard established by government.
According to locals of various areas of Lakhanpur, Basantpur, Jagatpur beside others in district Kathua, the stray cattle population has increased to a great extent in the last few months with increase in foiling of bovine smuggling bids by the Police.
“In most of the cases, whenever police foiled a bovine smuggling bid, it seized the vehicle while drivers and conductors were arrested while the bovines were left unattended in the area after few days”, locals said, adding that these gullible creatures have to feed for themselves and they in turn barged into the crops of local farmers.
“There is seldom any morning, when I have not found stray cattle in my crops. In the last six months, I have shifted over two dozen cattle from one village to another but every time some of them returned to the area and damage the crops”, a local farmer Gian Chand of Jagatpur said, adding that from the appearance of the oxen it was amply clear that they were not locals and were transported from Rajasthan or Haryana areas and were rescued from bovine smuggling bids.
Since the stoppage of bovine-smuggling, the crops have been badly damaged by the stray animals and the menace of stray animals has increased in most of the areas of Lakhanpur, Jagtpur, areas connecting Kathua with Ravi river, another local Sukhveer Singh said, adding that police have been foiling the bovine smuggling bids, it was good but by denying them proper rehabilitation, police has been doing disservice for the farmers, whose hard work has been destroyed by the stray animals.
An official of the department informed Early Times that in the Forest area of Thein, there is a proper cattle-sanctuary has been established by the government in which all the stray animals could be rehabilitated. “It is still unknown as who is responsible for shifting these stray cattle to that sanctuary, so that local farmers as well as stray cattle, who have sometimes been facing the wrath of farmers could be properly rehabilitated”, a official pleading anonymity said.
A senior police officer pleading anonmity said that in the last over one year they have rescued over one thousand bovines after foiling bovine smuggling bids. He further said that over 200 cattle have been taken care by police in a Gaushala established near bridge connecting Keerian Gandial with district headquarter Kathua. |
