Additional safety features at bull collection points and efforts to give all registered bulls a chance to take part in the bull-taming events were the highlights at the preparatory meeting held at the Collectorate on Wednesday.
Not only the Collector but also organisers and officials echoed the need to provide additional safety features at the bull collection points.
“Bulls returning to the playing arena puts the tamers in peril,” an official said. The Collector said that barricading should be done properly and bulls should be collected within 20 minutes after they enter the collection yard.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) V. Sasimohan suggested that the barricading in Avaniyapuram should be extended so that the bulls remain in the collection yard and do not return.
Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan said barricading at Alanganallur should be strengthened as residents close to the collection points had raised concern over their safety. “Last year, we had to provide additional barricades at the last moment,” he said.
One of the officials pointed out that a tractor trailer left near the collection yard led to a bull getting hurt.
The Collector said no vehicle would be allowed between ‘vadivasal’ (entry of bulls) and collection point.
While the organisers demanded extension of time, the Collector said being a winter season, lights would fail soon. The events would start at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. All the organising committees interested to conduct jallikattu should get written permission from the district administration.
30 events last year
All safety arrangement should be done by the organisers as per the guidelines issued by the Government. In 2017, 30 jallikattu events were held in the district.
The Collector restricted the number of tamers to be allowed into the arena at any given point of time.
“A maximum of 75 tamers will be allowed at a time. We want serious players to be in the arena for the brave acts. Those who want to watch jallikattu can be in the gallery,” he said.
Few organisers complained about inordinate delay in providing tokens and screening of bulls by officials of animal husbandry department.
“We will give a list of bulls that could qualify and those bulls should be given tokens. If they fail in screening, let the bulls be rejected. But, making the bull-owners wait beyond midnight for tokens is not appropriate,” one of them said.
Mr. Rao said that tokens would be issued three days prior to the events. Similarly, the organisers demanded that bulls should be allowed as per the token numbers and no undue preference should be given to any bulls.
Local bodies should provide basic amenities at the venues, the Collector said.
Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekar, officials from Public Works Department, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Departments and Departments of Health and Tourism were present.
