Bhubaneswar: There has been a rise in cases of cow slaughter and cattle smuggling in last five years in the State during the BJD tenure and the present Odisha government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that strict measures as per law is taken against offenders found guilty the crime, informed Minister of State of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Gokulananda Mallik during the assembly today.

In response to an unstarred question regarding  steps taken by the Government to check the rising number of cattle smuggling cases and whether implementation of Orissa Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1960 is being carried out or not, Mallik said between 2019 and 2023, the number of registered cases saw a dramatic surge. While 139 cases were registered in 2019, 267 were registered the following year, 371 in 2021, 386 in 2022 and 620 in 2023. This reflects the perilous state of cattle protection laws in the State during the previous government, Mallik said. 

Taking serious consideration of the matter, the Mohan Majhi government has formed an inter-ministerial committee which will be chaired by Deputy CM, Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment and Energy department to brainstorm guidelines for promotion of dairy farming and ensuring cow protection in the State. As regards a PIL for cow safety (Gau Gyaan Foundation vs State of Odisha), he said the matter is still subjudice in the higher court.