Ludhiana municipal corporation seeks government nod for cow cess again

LUDHIANA: The municipal corporation (MC) has again sent the proposal of cow cess to the local bodies department, seeking its permission to impose it at the earliest.
Two months ago, the department had turned it down, asking the civic body to prepare the plan again after inviting objections from residents.
In the proposal, the MC has included 10 items, but excluded electricity."After the MC general house approved imposition of cow cess in September last year, some residents filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court against it. The local bodies department then asked the MC to again seek objections from residents and accordingly redraft the proposal," said sources in the civic body.
Even as the authorities earlier planned to impose cow cess on electricity at the rate of Rs 0.02 (2 paise) per unit, it was later excluded after the general house objected to it. MC veterinary officer Dr YP Singh said, "We had again sought residents' views, but received none. Therefore, no changes have been made in the proposal, which was finalised by the MC house in September 2015. The local bodies department is likely to soon release the notification to impose it." Additional chief secretary, local bodies department, Satish Chandra said, "The file is with the ministry of local government. No decision has been taken on it." The cess aims at generating revenue to give shelter to stray cattle.