Failing to keep a check on cow slaughter even after implementing a stringent law last year, the Haryana Government has now entrusted senior IPS officer Bharti Arora the task to supervise and monitor the functioning of the teams constituted in all districts of the State to effectively check slaughter and smuggling of cows.
The headquarters of Bharti Arora would be at Bhondsi in Gurgaon district.
Besides, 62 non-gazetted officers (NGOs) and 224 other rank police personnel (ORP) have been deployed in police teams to keep a check on cow smuggling and slaughter in the State.
The State Government has also launched a 24-hour helpline number 8284030455 for people to report incidents of cow smuggling or slaughter. The information that is provided will be conveyed to police officials, who would send special teams set up for the purpose to the area concerned, said an official spokesman.
As many as 307 cases have been registered between January 1 and April 30, 2016 under Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act 1960 in the state. Also, 85 cases have been registered under Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act 1955.
During this period, 191 cows have been rescued and 446 persons have been arrested under these Acts, said the spokesman.
last year, the BJP Government in Haryana had announced a complete ban on sale of beef in any form in the state in March. For the “protection and upkeep” of cows, Haryana had passed a Bill which clamps a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state and provides for a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to ten years for killing the animal.
Notably, a video had surfaced recently which showed two men being made to eat “panchgavya” (cow dung concoction) by Gau Rakshak Dal volunteers after they were allegedly caught with beef in Faridabad.
Following the incident, Haryana Minister Ram Bilas Sharma had said that the incident was a result of cow lovers been awakened by the new law in the state. He had said that after the enactment of the Act, incidents of cow slaughter had decreased and awareness has increased among the people, especially the youth.
Another Cabinet Minister Anil Vij had last year started a campaign demanding that cow be declared as the national animal.