GUWAHATI: The Assam assembly on Thursday passed several amendments to the four-month-old cattle preservation law that tightens slaughter guidelines but re-opens inter-district movement of cattle, except to districts bordering Bangladesh.
Cattle will now be allowed to be slaughtered only in a slaughter house duly licensed or recognized by the state and there will be no exemptions which the principal Act, Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, had provided. As per provisons of the the original Act, "the state government may exempt certain places of worship or certain occasions for slaughter of cattle other than calf, heifer and cow for religious purposes." This provision has now been omitted by the amendment.
The amended bill also empowers police to seize and auction vehicles that were used to transport cattle illegally. The amendments also empower the police to enter the house of an accused and inspect, search and seize properties acquired in the last six years with money earned from illegal cattle trade.
However, the provision of ban on inter-state transportation in the principal Act passed by the House four months back has been kept unchanged. Also, prohibitions provided in the principal Act on sale and purchase of beef in areas inhabited by non-beef-eating communities and within a radius of five km of a temple or a satra have been untouched and will continue to remain in force.
