Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 10: In a letter addressed to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah, has requested that the notification issued by the union government on May 23 this year, placing blanket ban on sale of cattle to slaughterhouses be reconsidered in the interests of farmers and the society as a whole. In letter in question was sent on Friday June 9.

Siddaramaiah has, in the said letter, termed Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 as 'unconstitutional'. He has predicted that the new notification will have long term adverse affects on the social fabric and financial standing of India.

"The said rules prescribe certain restrictions on the cattle trade. I would like to bring to your kind attention that these rules are unconstitutional and will have a far-reaching negative impact on the Indian society and economy," he said.

File photo

Siddaramaiah added that the rules should have been introduced after a detailed consultation with the states.

"The absence of efforts to take the states into confidence on such an important matter hits at the very roots of federalism," he said.

Siddaramaiah opined that the rules now framed will restrict the farmers from disposing off aged and unproductive cattle, which will impose unnecessary financial burden on their families. He says that these rules indirectly restrict inter-state sale of cattle, thus clearly violating article 301 and 302 of Indian Constitution.

Pointing out that meat was a key source of protein for the poor, he said it was consumed by people of all the faiths and not only by the minorities and Dalits.

"They will also encroach upon right to food enjoyed by the people. Meat is the key source of protein for the poor and common people. Majority in the society including Dalits and minorities consume meat. They will face lot of problems because of modified rules," he said.

The rules would "negatively" affect the meat and leather industries and the lives of lakhs of people who depended on them, Siddaramaiah said, adding that they would also "destroy" many public sector meat-processing units, which in turn would "adversely affect the country's economy".

"The said rules of the Government of India bring in unfair and unnecessary dietary restrictions," he added.

Pointing out that the rules, if implemented in their letter and spirit, would "defeat the very purpose" of certain sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Siddaramaiah said the rules pertaining to the constitution of animal market monitoring committees and animal market committees would "disturb a well established structure", which was in accordance with the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act.

The rules that mandated providing documentary proof that the cattle would only be traded for agricultural or domestic purposes would subject the farmers to an additional financial burden, thereby contributing further to the agrarian crisis, he said, citing the case of old and unproductive cattle.

Noting that the state already had the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 to deal with these issues, the chief minister highlighted the areas where the rules were "in contravention" with the provisions of the state law.

He claimed that the rules also indirectly prohibited the sale of animals outside the state which, he said, was "against the provision of the Constitution", which allowed a free trade of livestock.

Thus, the rules interfered with a subject on the State List, without the consent ofthe state government, Siddaramaiah wrote in his letter to Modi.

With PTI Inputs