Requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exempt Meghalaya from putting into force the new law banning sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets, former Union minister and Congress MP Vincent H Pala has said that the ban should not be enforced in tribal and beef-consuming states.
The Congress MP has submitted a formal petition in this regard to the Prime minister.
In his petition, Vincent H Pala requested the PM to seek formal views from all state governments regarding the review of these rules and allow implementation of the same with state-wise necessary notifications.
Meghalaya was ranked the top beef-consuming state in the country where 80.74 per cent of the population eat beef, ahead of Lakshadweep and Nagaland, according to the latest National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).
“Tribal states like Meghalaya, etc. should be exempted from the application of these rules (the newly promulgated Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulations of livestock Markets) rules, 2017),” Pala, the Shillong MP said in the petition submitted to the PMO last evening.
The former Union minister of state for Minority Affairs said the new rules should be rolled back as only Parliament can amend the relevant act and states must be consulted before any decision in that regards as it also affects the federal functions on the subject matter.
(With PTI inputs)
