The Assam assembly approved a series of revisions to the four-month-old cow preservation bill on Thursday, tightening slaughter limits while reopening inter-district cattle movement, except in areas bordering Bangladesh.
According to the bill, cattle can henceforth only be slaughtered in a slaughterhouse that has been licensed or recognized by the state, and there will be no exemptions as there were under the previous law, the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021. “The state government may exempt certain places of worship or specific dates for the slaughter of cattle other than calf, heifer, and cow for religious purposes,” according to the original Act’s provisions. This clause has now been removed from the amendment.
The bill has been revised to allow police to seize and auction cars used to transport animals illegally. The revisions also allow authorities to visit an accused’s home and inspect, search, and take property purchased in the previous six years with funds obtained from the illegal cattle trade.
However, the provision in the main Act prohibiting interstate movement, which was passed by the House four months ago, has remained untouched. Additionally, the limitations in the main Act on the sale and purchase of beef in areas inhabited by non-beef-eating groups and within a five-kilometer radius of a temple or a satra have been preserved and will continue to apply.
