Madhya Pradesh set to use colour tags to tackle stray cattle menace

Animal Husbandry Minister Lakhan Singh Yadav said the new tag would facilitate quick identification of the cattle and recovery of fine from the owner.

In an attempt to rid the streets of stray cows, the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has decided to use different colour tags for cows in gaushalas and those that roam the streets, including those owned by cattle rearers.

Most cows in gaushalas in the state already have yellow tags. A different colour tag will be used for stray cattle impounded during drives by civic and local bodies. Animal Husbandry Minister Lakhan Singh Yadav said the new tag would facilitate quick identification of the cattle and recovery of fine from the owner.

Many owners milk the cows in the morning and leave them on the streets till the evening. These cows are different from those abandoned by owners. The minister said all abandoned cows will be shifted to gaushalas and the new tags aim to target owners who temporarily leave milch animals on the streets. The minister said the government’s target was to free the roads of stray cattle in the next year-and-a-half to ensure that they don’t cause accidents and don’t damage crops.