Vet college stops auction of 50 animals

NAGPUR: The Nagpur Veterinary College had to stop and postpone the auction of 50 animals belonging to the college for two months due to intervention by state administration .
Though the administration claims that it was just ensuring that the auction procedure was being followed properly the college seems to have postponed the auction under the pressure of the deputy animal husbandry commission for Nagpur district BM Bhivgade and a NGO which apparently had made a complaint with the collector claiming irregularities in auction.
Collector Abhishekh Krishna categorically clarified that he had not issued any particular instruction to stop or postpone the auction. “All I said was that the university should follow the rules/guidelines. If they were following rules there was no need for them to stop,” he said.
NVC dean C Jangade told TOI that the Mafsu had its own rules for such auctions. “We made a proper advertisement. We always take an undertaking that the buyer would not resell the animal to anyone further nor give it for slaughter. But since the animal husbandry deputy commissioner told us to take an identity proof we postponed the auction,” he said.
Bhivgade admitted that Mafsu had the power to have its own auction rules. But he also said that he went there on instructions of the collector. “I only told them that it was preferable that they sell animals to breeders as is done in the state government auctions,” he said.
RTI activist Ankita Shah who calls herself an animal lover called up TOI to tell that there were butchers too in the buyers group present at NVC. “So, I objecting to the bidding process and sent a mail to the collector,” she said.