IN May, Maharashtra’s Department of Animal Husbandry issued a call for volunteers “engaged in animal welfare activities on religious grounds” to apply for “honorary” non-salaried position of welfare officers to serve as “eyes to monitor the beef ban” imposed last year. Of these, 2,371 applications were officially admitted, awaiting scrutiny by the High Court-appointed Committee to Monitor Animal Welfare Laws. * Over 60 per cent of applicants have identified themselves as “gau rakshaks” with affiliation to existing gaushalas and gau rakshan samitis. * In several cases, candidates have been put up by NGOs engaged in animal welfare; very few speak of animals beyond cattle. * A section of applicants are “unemployed” and have shown diplomas in Animal Husbandry and Dairy Diploma as qualification criteria.

Source: Indian Express August 22, 2016 23:23 UTC