Soon, e-commerce websites such as OLX and Quikr.com might get a tough competition. The Rajasthan government is planning to set up a portal to help people buy and sell cows online.
The portal is likely to come up in six months and will host photos, yield, the price of cows and contact details of owners for buyers to get in touch with sellers directly, reported Hindustan Times.
“Our efforts are to increase farmers’ income and ensure no cow is abandoned. The farmers will receive the right price of cattle and role of middlemen will be curbed,” Rajasthan cow welfare minister Otaram Devarsi told the newspaper.
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Rajasthan has a dedicated ministry for cows and the government is hopeful that the portal will boost cattle trade. Farmers have been asked to form an association to run the website with the help of the government.
According to the government figures in 2016, Rajasthan has 2,327 shelters with 660,000 cattle.
Last year, the Rajasthan government said 8,122 cows died at Asia's “best” Hingonia Gaushala between January 1 and July 31 due to ill-health and accidental injuries. On an average, 1,053 cows die every month at this very centre, while over 500 have perished in last 10 days.
After an increase in the incidents where cattle owners were beaten or worse lynched by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes, many people have started buying and selling cattle online. Hundreds of cows ranging from Rs 10,000 to 300,000 have been up for sale on OLX.
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On May 23, the Centre had issued new rules banning the sales of cattle for slaughter. Soon, people reportedly started selling and buying cattle onlne. The Centre's new “no slaughter” rules of May 23 include, among other things, written certification from both a seller and a buyer that the sale of cattle is not for slaughter.
However, in July following the Madras high court's similar action in May, the Supreme Court ordered a three-month stay on the Centre's rules.
