SK Mittal described it as unfortunate that the state was at the forefront of cow slaughter despite having indigenous breeds like Punganur and Ongole.
Andhra Pradesh is one of the highest contributing states in animal slaughter. SK Mittal, director of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and convener of the central government’s Jallikattu Inspection Committee, says the official figure estimates beef production at 9.5 lakh metric tonnes annually, which is a cause for concern.
Addressing the media in Tirupati on 21 December, he cited Andhra Pradesh as a major contributor to the Al Kabir slaughterhouse near Hyderabad, followed by Karnataka and Telangana. “At least 80 lakh to 1 crore cattle are slaughtered every year to produce 9.5 lakh metric tonnes of beef,” he said. He described it as unfortunate for the state to be at the fore in cow slaughter despite having indigenous breeds like Punganur and Ongole. He wondered, “The state government has taken promising steps by providing insurance for dead cows, but what about live cows?”
Dr. Mittal found the depleting grazing land in and around the villages as a disadvantage to meet the growing fodder needs. Referring to the directions of the Supreme Court, he demanded the state government to remove the encroachment on a war footing. Similarly, he suggested that gaushalas should be allowed to use such grazing land in their vicinity to feed their cattle. Speaking on the Centre’s initiatives on the cow protection front, he said that up to ₹25 lakh for construction of gaushalas, ₹7 lakh for veterinary ambulances, besides regular grants, funds for Animal Birth Control (ABC) of dogs, Can help for development. Etc. of indigenous breeds under Gokul Mission.
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