The Madhya Pradesh government is considering a proposal to give district collectors the power to book owners under the Indian Penal Code who abandon their cows, The Indian Express reported on Thursday. The proposal was made by the Madhya Pradesh Cow Protection Board, which had earlier suggested penalising farmers and owners who abandon cows.
The law currently allows only the butcher to be penalised, Swami Akhileshwaranand, the chairman of the Cow Protection Board’s executive council, told The Indian Express. “The law does not allow punishing the owners who abandon their cows once they stop giving milk,” he said.
The proposal was part of a report from the committee that the state government had set up to recommend measures to protect cows. In November, the committee had proposed several other measures to conserve cows, including penalising owners and setting up more cow sanctuaries.
The state is also attempting to give every cow a unique tag, allowing the authorities to track the owner. The Centre suggested this project be expanded nationally. In September, the state inaugurated the country’s first cow sanctuary in Agar Malwa district.
Madhya Pradesh is not the only state proposing measures to protect cows. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir proposed 1,000 hectares of forest landed be allotted for cow sanctuaries in every district of every state.
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