From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Oct 7: Even as a section of the BJP leaders and most of the key persons of Sangh Parivar outfits are crying hoarse over banning beef and also for a blanket ban on Cow slaughter all across the country, Karnataka’s Congress government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to abolish the Goseva Ayoga (Commission for the Conservation of Cattle), which was constituted by the previous BJP government under the chief ministership of B S Yeddyurappa.
The State Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday, decided to disband the Yeddy regime’s baby of Goseva Ayoga instituted in the year 2012.
The State Cabinet meeting decided to abolish the Ayoga and transfer its functions and powers to the Animal Welfare Board of the Animal Husbandry Department.
The previous BJP Government had set up the commission for enforce a ban on cow slaughter.
The 16-member Commission has the authority to ensure protection of cattle.
Soon after the Congress government came to power in 2013, it removed non-official members.
The members challenged the decision of the State Government in the High Court and got a stay.
The stay order against the GosevaAyogawas recently vacated and the High Court, which upheld the Government’s decision on setting up the Commission.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said the Animal Welfare Board has been entrusted with the task of protecting cattle.
"There is no need for having another separate Commission," the minister said and held that the GosevaAyoga would amount to waste of funds as the same work could be effectively handled by the State Animal Husbandry Department and the Animal Welfare Board.
The Congress government had last year repealed the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill 2012 passed during the BJP regime.
The 2012 bill proposed to ban the slaughter of cows and bulls.
Joint Venture Company formation for Dabhol-City gas pipeline
In another major decision, the State Cabinet mooted floating a joint venture company with the support Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) for implementing a Dabhol- Bangalore Natural Gas Pipeline project.
The Karnataka Natural Gas Ltd, the new joint venture company, will be set up with total investment of Rs 100 crore. The State government will invest Rs 24 crore, the minister said.
The State Cabinet has agreed to swap lands with Chettinad Cement Company at Kallur village in Chincholli taluk in Kalaburagi district.
The firm will give government 49.08 acres it acquired from private people and in turn the government will give 47.13 acres of gomal land to the company.
The land given by the firm will be used for gomal purposes (cattle grazing lands).
The State Cabinet also decided to handover government lands of 12,985 acres in various districts to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, which in turn allot lands for industrial purposes.