Farmer leader and retired Airport Chief Engineer (Service) SC Rao has filed a petition at the National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi seeking a complete ban on cow slaughter in the State.
The NGT has accepted petition and set the hearing date for July 13, informed Rao. Supreme Court lawyers Chandra Sekhar Panda and Manoranjan Pattnaik and social activist Ashwini Kumar are assisting Rao, a resident of Kashinagar in Gajapati district.
Even though ban on cattle sacrifices is in force across the country, the ill-practice is still carried out in many parts. While the tribunal has repeatedly issued notices to State Governments to put ban on cow sacrifices, the latter are have ignored such notices only.
“The Orissa Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act came into force in 1960. However, it has remained only in pen and paper,” lamented Rao in the petition.
While protection of cows is necessary to check pollution, the cow dunk and urine are required for improvement in agriculture lands. Cow slaughters have impacted the environment considerably, he added.
Rao’s initiative has been welcomed by intellectuals.