From: bcsabha.kal...@gmail.com To: 3 Mar 2015Hindustan Times (Mumbai)Surendra Gangan surendra.gan...@hindustantimes.com NOT JUST COWS Amendment to bill completely bans slaughter of bulls, bullocks and calves as wellTHE AMENDMENT WILL COME INTO FORCE ONCE THE NOTIFICATION IS ISSUED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT. MAHESH PATHAK, secretary, animal husbandry and dairy development departmentMUMBAI: The slaughter of cows, bulls, bullocks and calves i s now completely banned in Maharashtra under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation ( amendment) Act (MAPA), 1995, which has received President Pranab Mukherjee’s nod.There is already a blanket ban in the state on the slaughter of cows. The amended Act brings bulls, bullocks and calves, too, under this ban.However, the slaughter of female buffaloes and buffalo calves can continue, but only with the permission of relevant authorities.Under the amended Act, the crime of slaughtering the animals covered under the ban will be non-bailable and the punishment will be five years in prison, upped from the earlier six months. The fine, too, has been hiked to Rs10,000 from the current Rs1,000.The slaughter of cows is banned under schedule 5 of the Act passed in 1976. Schedule 6 of the Act, however, allows the slaughter of bulls and bullocks, female buffaloes and buffalo calves with permission.The amendment now puts bulls, bullocks and calves under schedule 5 of the Act, which means a blanket ban on their slaughter.“The amendment will come into force once the notification is issued by the state government,” said Mahesh Pathak, secretary of the animal husbandry and dairy development department.The Sena-BJP government in 1995 moved an amendment for the inclusion of bulls, bullocks and calves under schedule 5 of the MAPA.The bill was sent to the Centre for the final nod in 1996.In a letter sent to the Governor of Maharashtra on Monday, the Union ministry of home affairs conveyed the President’s assent given on February 26. Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who was instrumental in the passage of the bill, had been pursuing the issue with the Centre for the past two months.“The agriculture department had put negative remarks on the bill stating that only aged animals were being sent for slaughter. It was only after we convinced the leadership about the importance of the bill, that the remarks were changed,” said a BJP leader. 3 Mar 2015Hindustan Times (Mumbai)NOD AFTER 19 YEARSThe Sena-BJP government in 1995 moved an amendment for the inclusion of bulls, bullocks and calves under schedule 5 of Maharashtra Animal Preservation (amendment) Act (MAPA) Under schedule 5 of the Act, the slaughter of cows is already banned. Schedule 6, however, allows the slaughter of bulls and bullocks, female buffaloes and buffalo calves with the permission of authoritiesThe Bill was pending for approval for almost 19 years Two weeks after coming to power, on November 12, 2014, the Devendra Fadnavis government initiated a move to send the Bill for the President’s nod The amendment now puts bulls, bullocks and calves under schedule 5 of the Act, which means a blanket ban on their slaughter.
