The Tripura High Court has directed the state government to issue a transit permit to an NGO for transporting rescued cows from Tripura to a gaushala in Jharkhand.The order was passed after a petition filed by Dhyan Foundation, which sought permission to shift rescued cattle to its shelter facility outside the state. Hearing the matter, Justice T. Amarnath Goud on March 23 instructed the authorities to grant the required transit permit. The court said the cattle can be transported to the organisation’s gaushala in Jharkhand with proper care and necessary safeguards.A gaushala is a shelter meant for the care and protection of stray, abandoned or aged cattle.
The court also directed that the transport process must follow all provisions under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the relevant rules notified in 2017. It further asked authorities to ensure smooth passage of the cattle through Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Bihar during the journey to Jharkhand. A representative of the foundation, Gaurav Yadav, said the organisation is currently taking care of around 2,100 cattle rescued by the Border Security Force in Tripura. He added that nearly 22,000 rescued bovines are already housed at the group’s Chakulia gaushala in Jharkhand.
The foundation told the court that it has better infrastructure in Jharkhand, along with lower fodder costs, which would help in proper care of the animals. It also raised concerns about cattle smuggling from Tripura to Bangladesh and said distributing the rescued cattle locally could put them at risk.
