Guwahati: With Eid al-Adha round the corner, the Political (B) Department of Assam has forwarded a letter and appended enclosures from the Animal Welfare Board of India, under the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, to all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of the state "regarding stopping of illegal killing/sacrifice of cows/calves, camels and other animals and taking action against the offenders for violation of Transport of Animals Rules on the occasion of Bakrid."
The relevant letter and appended enclosures first mention that "It is a fact that large numbers of animals are likely to be slaughtered during (the) Bakrid festival. It is reported that during the transportation of animals, the owners of the animals do not follow the animal welfare laws and animal transportation rules, which prescribes the number of animals which can be transported in a vehicle, resulting in cruelty to the animals…As you are aware, cruelty to any animal is a punishable offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960..."
Secondly, the letter and enclosures mention that "Kindly note that as per Rule 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001 no person shall slaughter any animal under a municipal area except in a slaughter house recognized and licensed by the authority concerned empowered under the law for the time being in force to do so…"
Lastly, the letter and enclosures mention that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has not granted permission for the slaughter of any animal other than those belonging to four categories – ovines, caprines, suillines and bovines. "This effectively means that camels cannot be slaughtered for food at all. Also, wherever cow slaughter prohibition Act is in force, then slaughtering of cows should not be allowed at all (there)."
The letter requested the authorities concerned to "take all precautionary measures to strictly implement the animal welfare laws to stop illegal killing of animals and to take stringent action against the violators the animal laws, viz. PCA Act, 1960, Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, Transport of Animals (Amendment) Rules, 2001, Slaughter House Rules 2001, municipals laws and Food Safety & Standards Authority of India direction for slaughtering of animals during (the) Bakrid festival."
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