Team herald

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MARGAO: The Green Goa Foundation has filed a contempt petition against the government for violating the High Court directions on keeping the roads free from stray cattle.

In the petition, GGF Chairman Raison Almeida submitted that the number of stray cattle on the roads has increased over the last couple of years, especially at night and during monsoons.

He stated that the neither the Director of Panchayats has initiated action against the erring Panchayats nor the Secretary, Animal Husbandry is effectively monitoring the implementation of the scheme vis-à-vis stray cattle.

Almeida has submitted to the Court to direct an independent authority to visit all the cattle pounds in Goa belonging to all village Panchayats and Municipalities and report the status of their functioning. “We have tried out level best to find out the cattle pounds in few panchayats, but have found the same as barren fields without fences and with no personnel or infrastructure. There are village panchayats which are not having permanent cattle pounds and the ones shown in the affidavit file by these bodies are not functional”, he submitted.

Almeida has prayed to the high court to issue notice to the Chief Secretary and other authorities and take action in terms of the Contempt of Courts Act.