Palike licences for dairy farmers to curb stray cattle menace

 The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike is planning to issue licences to dairy farmers to curb the menace of stray cattle on City roads.

The civic agency has been unable to control stray cattle on City roads, despite several measures. The Palike, by a notification dated May 5, 2014, enhanced the penalty for leaving stray cattle in the open, from Rs 100 to Rs 600. Since 2014, the BBMP has collected Rs 3,05,850 as penalty on stray cattle.

These cattle loiter around roads, causing inconvenience not just to commuters but also pedestrians. Rohini Shankar, who commutes by a two-wheeler, said: “It is not just the potholes and broken footpaths that hinder vehicular movement in the City. Cattle roam around some of the main City roads causing chaos.”

The Palike has also been facing problems in effective implementation of the 2014 notification.

T Shivarama Bhat, Joint Director (Animal Husbandry), BBMP, said that lack of animal shelter was a huge problem. “Keeping these rescued animals in shelter is also important. Though there are goshalas, we are unable to use them.”

Another problem is that vehicles used to rescue these animals are not in working condition and there have been issues on payment of salary to the workers hired for the task, he added.

T M Vijay Bhaskar, administrator, BBMP, said that they were planning to repair vehicles as soon as possible.  “There was a problem with the vehicles and lack of manpower. I have already directed officials to ensure that notification is implemented effectively so that no stray animals are found on the road,” he added.