Control rooms set up to check cockfights

Eluru: District Collector K Vetri Selvi has instructed the officials to take strict action against offenders in such a way so that it can create fear among them to organise cockfights anywhere in the district.

She convened a video-conference with district and mandal-level officials, police, excise and other department officials, along with District SP KPS Kishore from the Collectorate here on Friday.

She said that continuous and strict vigilance should be maintained against cockfighting, gambling and illegal liquor trafficking. Organising cockfight is a crime under the law. She ordered the Sub-Collector, revenue divisional officers and tahsildars to set up control rooms in their respective offices to monitor the situation in coordination with the DSPs and SHOs of the district.

She said that instead of the youth getting involved in cockfighting and gambling, traditional sports like kabaddi, volleyball, cricket and other competitions should be organised in villages, towns and cities.

She also wanted to see that Rangoli and other programmes should be encouraged. The grounds prepared for cockfighting should be removed using tractors and JCBs. She said that joint inspection teams have the power to seize any money collected for cockfighting, gambling and betting from the concerned persons. She ordered the tahsildars to form monitoring committees at the village level as well.

If any illegal activities are detected, the mobile police team was instructed to immediately file an FIR against the persons conducting cockfighting and gambling. She said that displaying knives and blades by tying them to the legs of cocks is prohibited. She said that in order to effectively prevent cockfighting and betting, tahsildars and SHOs should hold a meeting at the village level and inform them about the provisions of the 1960 and 1974 Acts.

District SP K Pratap Siva Kishore said that legal action will be taken against anyone involved in cockfighting, gambling or betting anywhere in the district during the Sankranti festival. He said that the joint inspection teams formed as per the orders of the High Court should work hard and perform their duties efficiently without any problems arising.