Taking a strong view against the Centre’s recent notification, which has banned the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets, the Congress-ruled Karnataka’s Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra told the State Cabinet that the new rules are “anti-constitutional and will not stand the test of law.”
Mr. Jayachandra, who briefed the Cabinet about legal issues related to the Centre’s new rules, observed that The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the new rules framed by the Centre are contradictory as the former does not support such rules. The Centre should have amended the Act itself if it wanted to bring about such rules.
The State Cabinet, which met on Tuesday, decided to discuss the issue in its next meeting and take a stand.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Jayachandra alleged that the Centre’s rules overlapped the State’s legislation regarding prevention of cow slaughter, though the Centre does not have powers to override the State’s authority on issues such as farming.
Describing the Central rules as “ultra virus of provisions of the Act, the Minister said even the Central Act did not provide for regulation of trade or banning the killing of cattle. The notification, which restricts inter-State sale of cattle, was against the provisions of Article 301 and 302, he alleged.
Real estate rules
Meanwhile, the State Cabinet has deferred the decision on framing rules for the Real Estate Regulation Act as the discussion in this regard remained inconclusive, Mr. Jayachandra said.
The Cabinet also gave approval for constitution of a three-member committee, headed by a retired High Court judge, to hear the rival parties on the legal row over Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Dargah located atop the Baba Budangiri in Chikkamagaluru district.
The Cabinet also decided to provide an incentive of ₹400 a quintal in addition to the minimum support price of ₹1,750 a qunital for growers of ragi and jowar in a bid to encourage cultivation of these vitamin rich millets.
Ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled next year, the Cabinet set a target of building 6.45 lakh houses this financial year and sanctioned 25 new government polytechnics. It also decided to extend the Agriculture Department’s flagship programme of Krishi Bhagya scheme, which involves construction of farm ponds, to that of Horticulture Department too.
