Two days after taking oath, the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Rawat, on Monday, said his government was “committed” to cow protection in the State.
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“Our government will ensure the implementation of the Cow Protection Act that was formulated during the BJP’s previous term [in Uttarakhand] in 2007,” Mr. Rawat said in his first formal media address after becoming Chief Minister.
The Uttarakhand Protection of Cow Progeny Act, 2007 prohibits cow slaughter and the sale or possession of beef.
The Act also regulates the transport of cow progeny.
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The Act makes registration of cow progeny in urban areas mandatory. Technologies such as radio-frequency identification must be used for the identification of cows.
Mr. Rawat said he would focus on the implementation of the Modi government’s flagship programmes such as Namami Gange , of which he is the convener, and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan .
Ganga clean-up
“As the convener of the Namami Gange programme I have implemented schemes for Ganga clean-up in the five States through which the river passes. Since Uttarakhand is where the Ganga starts, it is our responsibility to keep the river clean and we will focus on it,” he said.
During the day, Mr. Rawat and other Ministers took part in a cleanliness drive at different places across the State.
“We wanted to give a message to the people of the State that we are committed to attaining a Swachh Bharat ,” Mr. Rawat said.
There would be “transparency” in the functioning of his government and he would ensure a corruption-free and “clean” administration.