President's nod to Haryana’s anti-beef bill

CHANDIGARH: Almost eight months after the Haryana assembly cleared a bill against cow slaughter, it has finally got the President's assent. The law carries a provision of up to 10 years' jail term for offenders.

The state assembly had in March proposed doubling the current jail term of five years for those found involved in cow slaughter.

After the state government issues a notification, it will draft rules for the implementation of the new law. The bill has also proposed a fine up to Rs 1 lakh for cow slaughter apart from jail term. State animal husbandry minister Om Prakash Dhankar told TOI on Thursday that the bill got assent two days back.

The state was waiting for President's assent for the bill after the state assembly on March 16 passed Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Bill 2015.

In the bill, the Manohar Lal Khattar government had also proposed a ban on the sale of packaged beef. If the bill becomes a law, then the sale of beef in Haryana may lead to rigorous imprisonment up to five years along with fine up to Rs 50,000.

Sale of beef is banned in the state, but there was no prohibition on the sale of packaged beef. But the new BJP government decided to prohibit sale of all types of beef.

Earlier, another BJP-ruled state Maharashtra had made a provision of a five-year jail term for those found involved in cow slaughter.

Haryana's anti-beef law is more stringent than that of Maharashtra as the state assembly has suggested a heftier fine as well as jail term.