Cops on alert as Bakrid nears

Hyderabad: In view of Bakrid, City Police have taken all measures to ensure peaceful conduct of the festival without any clash between different groups regarding the illegal transportation of cattle into the city.

In view of last year's confrontations between different groups at several places in the Greater Hyderabad and the adjoining districts, they have set up integrated check posts across the city to check illegal transportation of cattle into the city.

According to senior police officials hundreds of check posts are installed across the State and the staff of Animal Husbandry, GHMC and local police are manning round the clock checking of lorries and other big vehicles which can transport cattle illegally in large number.

The teams will check illegal transportation of cattle into the city from the neighbouring districts. Special vigilance is going on at the border areas of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medak, Warangal, Mahabubnagar, Nizamabad districts.

The staff at the city entry points stops the lorries and DCM vans and checks the certificates issued by the veterinarians at the cattle markets. To avoid confrontation among the cattle transporters and the other group members who are opposing the slaughtering of cows, calves and bullocks, the police will be escorting the cattle being legally brought into the city to their destination without any disturbances.

City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar has already clarified that if anyone has any issues or grievances regarding the transport of cattle they can directly contact the police for prompt action and seek clarity from them. He further added that Telangana Prohibition of Cow Slaughter and Animal Preservation Act, 1977, will be strictly implemented. To avoid confrontations during the nighttime City police has also set up a control room for inter departmental coordination.

On the other hand, the GHMC officials have arranged two centres at Hayathnagar and Jeedimetla to feed the seized cows which were illegally transported by the meat traders. Meanwhile, South Zone police kept a special focus on the Old City area and intensified their patrolling in localities and colonies to prevent any trouble due to the sale of cattle there. DCP Amber Kishore Jha said that stringent action will be taken against those who try to illegally transport the cows and sell the cattle.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Prani Mitra Sangh (BPMC) alleged that the law enforcing agencies due to political pressures are conspicuously allowing the illegal slaughter of cows, calves and bullocks during Bakrid and violating the Telangana Prohibition of Cow Slaughter and Animal Preservation Act, 1977. Jasraj Srisrimal, BPMC president said last year about 10,000 cattle were slaughtered during Bakrid and the concerned officials did not take any steps to enforce the law.

-M Yanadi Reddy