the goan I network
QUEPEM
The Quepem Municipal Council (QMC) garden has had a different set of visitors for the past few days and their presence has not gone down well among people in the area.
Stray cattle have been seen taking shelter in the Quepem municipal garden for almost a week, leaving the playing area smeared with cow dung, while the QMC cattle pound has been in a dilapidated condition and virtually
abandoned.
Parents who accompanied their children to the municipal garden were left fuming and blamed the QMC
for not taking any effort to either restrict the entry of stray cattle into the garden or remove cow dung from the
play area.
“We cover the cow dung with the mud so that our kids can play there,” said Fiona Pereira, who was in the garden with her children.
“The municipal garden is in a neglected and sorry state. I wish the QMC could, at least, maintain the garden during this holiday season. Broken light posts, chipped pillars and garbage piled in corners has left the garden in a miserable condition,” Pereira added.
When contacted, Quepem Councillor Manuel Colaco said the entrance gates to the municipal garden could be closed at night to restrict entry of stray cattle.
“I will update the QMC chairperson in this regard,”
Stray cattle have been seen openly roaming at any given time of the day eating garbage outside shops and residential buildings, while also walking or squatting on roads in Quepem town and disrupting the free flow of traffic.
Incidentally, the QMC pound keeper and his four helpers/labourers have been unable to impound even one stray cattle.
“Many times, the labourers assigned to the pound keeper are seen walking along with the stray cattle, instead of impounding them. It seems like they don’t have the will to do their job,” said Quepem-based advocate John Fernandes.
“When the cattle is impounded, they have to take it to the cattle pound, where they have to give them food and water, which is extra work for them.”
“It’s the same cattle every day in the market and if the QMC were to impound all of them at one time, there would be no stray cattle in Quepem market,” said Adv Fernandes said.
The QMC cattle pound is in a dilapidated condition with broken roof sheets, unhygienic surroundings and no provision to store fodder for the impounded cattle.
Records provided by the QMC pound keeper Rajesh Naik have revealed that since he joined in 2009, 13 cattle have been pounded, of which seven cattle were released to the owner and Rs 7,800 were collected as fine, while the remaining six impounded cattle were later handed over to the Goshala at Zambaulim.
“The labourers are on the lookout for stray cattle in the market area in 2 shifts from morning 7 am to 9 pm,” informed Naik.
A few years back, the QMC had bought three tricycles with a special attachment bucket to transport the cattle, but they are corroded and lie unused in a corner.
According to sources, only seven local bodies recently came forward to avail the benefits of the Goa Stray Cattle Management Scheme 2013 (modified), of which the QMC is one of the beneficiaries.
Under this modified scheme, the appointed agency is given 90% grants to buy Rs 18 lakh worth of hydraulic lift vehicles, Rs 10,000 per
month as salary to a driver and Rs 5,000 per square metre for construction of sheds subject to NOC from the
authorities.
In addition, there is also a stipulated payment of
Rs 75 per day to feed the impounded cattle and Rs 30,000 as salary per month to a veterinary surgeon.
