After receiving complaints lodged by an NGO, Tripura Police shut down a cattle market in Teliamura. Members of one ‘Gau Gyan’ social organization filed a complaint alleging that the cattle were subjected to torture and cruelty violating concerned Acts.
After receiving the complaint Teliamura police stopped the business in the cattle market at Teliamura on Friday.
Police termed the market as illegal based on a complaint lodged by the NGO. However, the Police action sparked serious resentment among the traders and buyers. Despite the large-scale resentment, the trading in the market was stopped and the market was shut down..
According to sources, the cattle market is being conducted by the Teliamura Agri produces Markets Committee is conducting the cattle market in Teliamura for the last four decades. The concerned authority is also aware of the existence of the market.
A large police force led by Teliamura sub-divisional police officer Sona Charan Jamatia on Saturday stopped trading in the market.
Police sources claimed, a social organization filed a complaint with the Tealimura police station declaring the cattle market in Teliamura as illegal as it lacked the necessary infrastructure to conduct a cattle market and violated Livestock related Acts.
Police clarified the complaint was lodged on the basis of improper infrastructural issues in the market which had been running for a long time. The infrastructure required to run a Livestock market includes the provision of drinking water for the cattle, the presence of veterinarians and the provision of food for the cattle. However, in view of the absence of such infrastructure the market was dismissed, said police.
In the complaint, the social organization, namely Gau Gyan, alleged, Cattle are brutally treated and tortured. They also alleged violations of PCA Act 1960, PCA Regulation of livestock Market Rules 2017 and Transportation of Animal Rules 1978/ 2001. Members of the organization demanded the seizure of cattle which were brought in the market and arrests of the violators.
Police seized a cow from the market and took it into their custody and said that the market cannot be made operational until the required infrastructure is developed.
However, the police intervention into the cattle market triggered strong repercussions among the traders.
The traders questioned the sudden police action. Traders also vented asked as to why the local administration allowed running the ‘illegal’ market for the last 4 decades. .