Colombo: The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday approved a proposal to ban cattle slaughter in the country. However, it has been decided to import “beef” for those who consume it. Cabinet Spokesperson and Public Media Minister K.K. Rambukvele said that the cabinet approved the proposal prohibiting the slaughter of cattle in the country. The procedure will be followed to make this decision legal.
On September 8, the parliamentary group of the ruling Sri Lanka Pudujna Peramuna (SLPP) accepted the proposal of Prime Minister Mahenda Rajapaksa (Mahinda Rajapaksa) to prohibit the slaughter of cattle in the country. The cabinet said that it would take urgent measures to amend the Animal Act, Cattle Slaughter Ordinance, and other related laws and regulations applicable in the country.
According to officials, the cabinet has decided to import “beef” and will make it available at a discounted price to those who consume it. A program will also be introduced for older cattle which cannot be used effectively for agriculture. Approving the proposal in the cabinet note, it said that being an agro-based economy, the contribution of cattle resources is huge for developing the livelihood of villagers in Sri Lanka.
It states that various parties have underlined that the livestock resources required for traditional agricultural purposes are inadequate due to the slaughter of cattle and insufficient livestock resources are an obstacle to the upliftment of the local dairy industry for the development of the livelihood of the villagers Makes it necessary. According to the 2012 census, 70.10 per cent of the country’s population of more than 20 million are Buddhists, 12.58 per cent Hindu, 9.66 per cent Muslim, 7.62 per cent Christian and 0.03 per cent others.
