Haryana. Nov 23 (PTI): With cow protection law coming into force in Haryana, stringent punishment will be given to those indulging in cow slaughter or selling or eating beef, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said.

With the issuance of notification of the Bill on November 19 after the Presidential assent, cow slaughter in Haryana will now attract a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to 10 years.

"The Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Bill has come into force," Mr Khattar said addressing a public meeting on Saturday after inaugural function of new building of Baijnath Chaudhry Government Women College, constructed at a cost of Rs. 15 crore by Nangal Chaudhary Baijnath Charitable Trust in Mahendargarh district.

Mr Khattar said, "The Bill was passed unanimously by all 90 members of Assembly including three Muslim legislators who hail from Mewat", a Muslim dominated region.

He said that people belonging to Muslim community have also appreciated the cow protection law passed by the Assembly in March this year and assured that they will provide every possible help in its implementation.

Mr Khattar urged the people residing in urban areas that if they are unable to rear cows in their houses, they could ask their relatives living in rural areas to rear an extra cow on their account.

Notably, under the provisions of the new law, cow trafficking, slaughtering and eating beef are banned in the state.

For "protection and upkeep" of cows, Haryana Assembly had in March this year 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.