The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has formed a committee for inspection of slaughter houses in the country and directed the states to ensure that stray animals are taken out of roads and properly rehabilitated.
"There are complaints of young animals, and sometimes cows, being butchered at slaughter houses. The committee will inspect the slaughter houses to ensure no cruelty is committed against animals," AWBI chairman S P Gupta said.
The problem of stray animals especially cows, dogs and monkeys roaming on roads has become "rampant" in all parts of the country.
The board has issued an advisory to all states and union territories for the revival of cattle pounds and 'Kanji Houses' for proper rehabilitation of stray animals.
"It is cruelty against animals if they are found on the roads. The states have been given one-month time after which the board will take action against officials concerned if complaints are received," Gupta said.
The AWBI has also formed an eight-member committee to ensure that animals are not subjected to cruelty during shooting of films, he said.
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Gupta expressed concern over depletion of grazing land in villages and said that the board has planned a financial assistance of up to Rs 50 lakh for development of 'Gochar land', measuring minimum 50 acres.
The board will appoint animal welfare officers (AWOs) in all districts of the country to tackle cases of cruelty to animals, he said.
The board has also been reaching out to the states through meetings with chief ministers to take up the issues of stray animals and 'Gochar (grazing) land'.
"(Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath agreed to prevent cruelty to stray animals and even proposed to impose a cess on liquor to make arrangements for animals," Gupta said.
The board is working towards conservation of cows and popularisation and marketing of 'Panch Gavya' (non-meat cow products), the AWBI chairman said.
To take care of injured and distressed stray animals, the board has planned to have mobile ambulances at state level.
The AWBI, a statutory body headquartered in Ballabhgarh in Haryana, will also go online so that people can have information about its initiatives and to enable them to lodge complaints of cruelty against animals.
The board is also working to reach to the grassroots level in a three-tier system from Centre, state to district level through state animal welfare board (SAWB) and district society for prevention of cruelty to animals (DSPCA), he said.
The AWBI this year formed a committee to keep watch on progression of bull-taming festival Jallikattu and no cases of injury to animal were reported, Gupta said and lauded the efforts of the state government.