Modern cattle pound at Nagrota
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 3: Division Bench of the State High Court comprising First Puisne Judge, Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Sindhu Sharma has directed the Jammu Municipal Corporation to disclose the time-limit for allocation of funds to the tune of Rs 10 crore for construction of modern cattle pound at Nagrota.
When the much publicized PIL filed by NGO SAVE (Save Animals Value Environment) through its Chairperson Devinder Kaur Madaan alias Rumpy Madaan came up for hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed appearing for the PIL submitted that a sum of Rs 250 crore was released by the Central Government to the Jammu Municipal Corporation and an amount of Rs 10 crore can be allocated for construction of the cattle shed and this will take care of the stray animals on the roads which sometimes cause accidents.
Dr Zafar Iqbal, Municipal Veterinary Officer, who was present in the court informed the Division Bench that he had visited cattle sheds at Gurgaon, Karnal, Ludhiana and Haridwar and from the ideas taken from these areas the plan for cattle pound at Nagrota has been revised and the constructed area now required has been reduced substantially. He further submitted that a sum of Rs 10 crore will be required for taking care of about 1000 cattle.
Division Bench took serious note of the issue raised by the Forest Department when the same has been sorted out by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu after handing over 97 Kanals of land to the JMC for the cattle pound.
Government Advocate Ayjaz Lone appearing for the Forest Department vehemently raised the issue that some of the portion of land is owned by Forest Department, hence, use thereof can only be changed under the J&K Forest Conservation Act, 1997 for which a committee has been constituted. Advocate Lone even sought to deny the demarcation made out in the presence of the officers of the JMC and the Forest Department.
Accordingly, DB directed that the Forest Department shall take a decision with regard to the land in question and apprise the court about it.
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