Stray cattle a cross-border problem

MOHALI: The menace of stray cattle Mohali just refuses to be curbed.
The reasons could be the lax attitude of the cattle catching contractor or the lack of space at the cattle pound, but if claims of some councillors and the contractor are to be believed, it is the hand of people across the border.
The cattle owners in Chandigarh are letting their cattle stray into Mohali and that is why the number of stray cattle has not decreased despite the contractor having caught more than 500 cows till date," said Amiteshwar Kaur, the senior vice president of the Municipal Council.The cattle contractor also supported the claims of the councillor.
Every morning, herds of cattle cross over from Chandigarh into Mohali increasing the number of strays. This is because the Chandigarh MC has decided to crack down the stray cattle. They have better means of catching cattle and more space for keeping them in their Gaushalas," said a representative of the cattle contractor.
The problem is that there are several entry points into Mohali from Panchkula and many villages within the municipal limits of Chandigarh have dairies in the southern sectors. The cattle owners of Burail, Badheri, Kajheri, Butrela are all letting their cattle stray into Mohali because cattle catching is not very effective here.
The MC officials said they were aware of the problem. In fact, everyone knows that cattle let loose in Chandigarh are straying into Mohali but no one has a solution to the problem. "All we can do is to catch them, but since they are not useful for the owners, they will not come to get them released putting extra burden on Mohali MC, said an official.
With no effective solution in sight, Amiteshwar offers a light one — "We could ask the octroi contractors manning the entry points 24-hours a day to turn back any cattle from entering into Punjab unless it pays octroi or transit money. That could earn some money for the council."