Special teams have been constituted to put a check on cow smuggling and cow slaughter in which 62 gazetted officers and 240 other rank police personnel have been included, he said. (Photo by Ravi Kanojia) Special teams have been constituted to put a check on cow smuggling and cow slaughter in which 62 gazetted officers and 240 other rank police personnel have been included, he said. (Photo by Ravi Kanojia)

Haryana is mulling to constitute ‘Gau Rakshak Task Force’ on the pattern of Home Guards to ensure strict enforcement of the stringent cow protection law in the state.

“It is being considered to constitute Gau Rakshak Task Force (Cow Protection Task Force) on the pattern of Home Guards so that the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015 could be strictly enforced,” Chairman, Haryana Gau Seva Ayog Bhani Ram Mangla said in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

For “protection and upkeep” of cows, Haryana Assembly had in March 2015 passed the Bill which clamps a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state and provides for a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to ten years for killing the animal.

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Mangla said cow smuggling in Yamunanagar, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Gurgaon and Rewari districts was posing a challenge.

Special teams have been constituted to put a check on cow smuggling and cow slaughter in which 62 gazetted officers and 240 other rank police personnel have been included, he said.

“In case anyone receives information about cow smuggling and cow slaughter, he can pass on the same on mobile number 8284030455. On getting the information, police team would reach the spot within half-an-hour and arrest the accused,” he said, according to an official release here.

Mangla said at present there were more than 1.17 lakh stray cows in the State.

“As announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, it has been decided to set up ‘gau abhyaranyas’ (cow sanctuaries) at five places in the State. A proposal has been received to set up such sanctuaries over an area of 200 acres in Panipat and 50 to 100 acres in Hisar, Sirsa and Bhiwani.

Cow sanctuaries would be set up in each district in the state in a phased manner,” he added.

He said a workshop would soon be organised in all districts of the state to apprise police and district administration officials with minute details of Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015.

The Haryana government had yesterday entrusted senior IPS officer Bharti Arora, the task to supervise and monitor the functioning of teams constituted in all districts to effectively check slaughter and smuggling of cows.

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