EC code gets villager's goat ahead of Eid celebrations

PATNA: The Election Commission proviso that a per son cannot carry over Rs 50,000 in cash during poll season has got the goat of a small community ahead of Eid ul Zuha - the rule has impacted goat sellers' business. Fear of flouting the norm has traders from villages carry only three to four goats to the city to ensure the transactions don't go above the stipulated sum.
Mohammad Ziaullah Khan, organiser of a `bakri bazaar' (goat fair) in capital Patna, rues the dip in number of goats in the market. “It's because of the EC's code of conduct," he says, adding “I've never seen such a scarcity in 30 years.“ Khan's family has organized the bazaar ahead Eid-ul-Zoha for over 50 years now.
Goats fit for a feast fetch big money, no kidding. The costliest goat sold this year has been a Totapari breed from Rajasthan. The buyer, from Patna's Sultanganj paid a handsome Rs 71,000 for it.“It should give about 100kg of meat," said Khan. The base rate is a measly Rs 4,000. Another goat, named Dabangg-3 went for Rs 35,000 - named Salman Khan, it even walked with the superstar's swagger, said bakri bazaar's Khan.
What's worsened matters is that the village sellers do not accept payment by cheque, says Khan. Hawkeyed police at railway stations and bus stops have paid put any attempt at ignoring the rule.