Frame National Policy to Protect Indigenous Cattle Breeds: NGT

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has rapped the Centre for failing to hold a meeting with all States and union territories to frame a national policy to arrest the rapid decline in population of indigenous breeds of cattle in the country.

“We had asked you (Centre) to hold a meeting with all the parties. Why didn’t you do it? First, you don’t follow our orders and when we say anything, you cry that we pass harsh directions,” a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

“We direct the counsel for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Ministry of Agriculture to seek clear instructions if they will be holding a proposed meeting of all the joint stakeholders to enable formulating a national policy for protection of indigenous cows, as we are informed that some of the States such as Kerala have witnessed 79.9 per cent decline in the animal population,” the bench said.

The matter has been posted for next hearing on May 30.

The tribunal had issued a notice to the Agriculture Ministry on the plea, filed by lawyer Ashwini Kumar, which alleged that there was a looming threat of extinction of indigenous breeds of cattle in the country.

“Even developed countries are taking steps to preserve and conserve the diversity in domestic livestock species,” the plea had said.