Illegal dairies to be shifted in a month

New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today directed all the civic authorities to be prepared to shift illegal dairies to the designated areas at Goga Dairy in West Delhi within a month.

A bench of Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice H R Malhotra said the responsibility of removing the illegal dairies and stray cattle would be vested on the heads of the civic bodies.

''We want the committment of all the civic body chiefs to execute the suggestions,'' said the court while hearing a PIL filed by Commoncause for removal of stray cattle from the capital's roads.

MCD Counsel submitted that there were at least 2,738 illegal dairies in the capital in 2003 and 1,920 plots of 80 sq mtrs and 96 sq mtrs sizes had been ready for allottment to the dairy owners to shift their cattle.

There were 5,857 applicants for the plots and 1373 owners had deposited 50 per cent of the total costs with the MCD.

The court had constituted a committee yesterday comprising MCD Commissioner Ashok Nigam, DDA Vice Chairman, NDMC Chairperson Sindhushree Khullar and Secretary Animal Husbandary of Delhi Government to look into the matter relating to relocation of about 2,655 illegal dairies all over the capital to Goga dairy.

Mr Nigam and Mrs Khullar were present in the court and submitted a report stating the steps to be initiated to allot plots to the illegal diary owners at Goga Dairy and removal of stray cattle from the streets.

On the recommendations of Mr Nigam, the court appointed Dr B K singh, the Vaterinary Officer(HQRS) as the nodal officer to coordinate the allotment of the plots.

The court-appointed committee was directed to assist Dr Singh in finalising the allotment.

UNI