Kerala assembly to discuss cattle rules today

Thiruvananthapuram: A special session of the assembly will be summoned on Thursday to discuss measures to counter the new restrictions imposed on cattle trade. The session will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 am. The Assembly would also pass a resolution against the Centre's decision at the end of the session. Both the opposition and the ruling party have the same stand on the issue.

Earlier, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had made it clear that he would call a meeting of his counterparts in other states to seek their support on the issue. He had also announced that he would challenge the rules in court. Minister for Forest and Animal Husbandry K Raju had also announced that bringing in a law within the limit of the state were under the consideration of the government. “However, a final decision will be taken only after considering the views of members in the house”, the minister had said.

The rules drafted by the environment ministry for bringing in restrictions on cattle trade had faced stiff opposition from the states because beef is popular. The norms prohibited the sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets, effectively.

The state was the first to oppose the notification, calling it is an “ infringement into the state’s right and went against federal principles”.

The rules, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on May 23, wanted the buyers to “follow the State cattle protection and preservation laws” and “not sacrifice the animal for any religious purpose”.

The notification, titled the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 has made it clear that those who wish to sell cattle — bulls, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and camels — may do so only after they formally state that the animals have not been “brought to the market for sale for slaughter”.