HC notice to Rajasthan government over stray cattle menace on Bikaner roads

The Rajasthan high court has issued a notice to the state government on a writ petition seeking the court’s intervention in checking stray cattle menace on Bikaner city roads

The Rajasthan high court has issued a notice to the state government on a writ petition seeking the court’s intervention in checking stray cattle menace on Bikaner city roads.

The petitioner has cited several incidents where commuters’ lives were put at risk by stray cattle in Bikaner. (HT File Photo)

The high court’s Jodhpur Bench also sent notice to Bikaner municipal corporation (BMC) and Bikaner district collector on the petition filed by a Congress leader, who alleged that civic authorities have filed to deal with the problem.

The two-judge bench of the court sought reply from concerned authorities within three weeks.

The petitioner, Gopal Gehlot, has cited several incidents where commuters’ lives were put at risk by stray cattle. In his plea, Gehlot accused the civic authorities of inefficient management and careless attitude towards stray cows.

Besides, the petitioner raised the issue of the civic body’s incompetence in allotment of land for development of a Gaushala in Sujandesar village.

Gehlot said the BMC had unanimously decided to develop the Gaushala in September 2016 and a proposal was sent to district collector for approval. The state government, however, rejected the proposal in June 2017, he said.

The writ petition urged the high court to direct the state government and civic authorities to get cattle shifted outside city limits so that traffic woes could be reduced.

Petitioner Gehlot told HT on Friday that despite democratic protests, the government and civic authorities were not providing any solution to the menace.

“Huge money has been generated by the government from cow cess but it hasn’t taken any concrete step to provide relief from the problem of stray cattle in the city,” he said.