Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government is set to roll out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to curb the rising smuggling of bovine animals in the Union Territory. This move follows demands from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP for a “zero tolerance” policy to tackle illegal bovine transport, which has raised concerns about law and order, social harmony, and national security.
Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha on Friday gave his nod to form a committee to draft comprehensive SOPs for regulating bovine transport in the region. The committee has been asked to examine existing laws and legal frameworks to prepare detailed SOPs governing bovine transport both by vehicles and on foot.
It will draft standard inspection procedures to prevent illegal transport and ensure smooth movement of lawful consignments, and also recommend technology-enabled solutions for transparency and efficiency.
Headed by the Administrative Secretary of the Home Department, the panel will comprise the Additional Director General of Police, CID, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Administrative Secretary, Transport Department, Administrative Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and Director Animal Husbandry Department, Jammu as its members.
The committee will examine the regulatory framework governing bovine transport. This includes central laws, prescribed documentation, and verification protocols, such as permits and health certificates, which enforcement agencies must check during inspections. It will also recommend measures to ensure animal welfare during transportation or on-foot movement, in conformity with applicable laws and guidelines, and suggest mechanisms for effective coordination among the police, transport, Animal/Sheep Husbandry Departments and district administration.
The move comes after several incidents of violence and law and order issues were reported in Jammu involving bovine transportation from the Jammu region to the Kashmir valley. The demand was also raised by BJP president for Jammu and Kashmir and Rajya Sabha Sat Sharma.
On Thursday (April 9), police in Jammu said that they rescued 24 bovine animals and seized a vehicle used for transporting them outside the district. Police filed an FIR after it alleged that an attack on its personnel, who thwarted bovine smuggling.
On March 6, a vehicle was set ablaze in the Jurian area of Jammu district by some persons who alleged that the vehicle was smuggling bovines. The police said they booked those persons under the relevant sections who torched the vehicle.
On March 27, the district magistrate of Kishtwar, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, imposed restrictions on the transportation of “bovine animals- cows, oxen, buffaloes, bulls, calves” from within Kishtwar to any area outside the district, without a valid permission from his office.
Invoking the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, the Transport of Animals on Foot Rules, 2001, and other allied statutory provisions, Kumar said that these laws cast a legal obligation upon the authorities to ensure humane handling, lawful transportation and protection of animals from cruelty, illegal trade and unauthorised movement.
Recently, the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir President Sharma raised the issue in parliament. He said an “alarming rise” has taken place in bovine smuggling, and it is becoming a grave challenge not only to law and order in Jammu and Kashmir but also to the social fabric and national security.
Citing official data from Jammu & Kashmir Police, Sat Sharma said during the year 2024 alone, under “Operation Kamdhenu,” a total of 425 bovine smugglers were arrested, and 3,434 animals were rescued from them.
Demanding a “zero tolerance” policy against bovine smuggling networks, Sharma hoped that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government would take firm and effective measures to address this growing challenge and ensure stringent action against those involved in this illegal trade.
