Rawalpindi : The authorities concerned have failed to enforce the ban on the sale of sacrificial animals on roads, streets and markets as several roads of Rawalpindi city and Cantonment areas have been turned into cattle markets.
A large number of cattle sellers have preferred to sell their herd in the open market instead of taking them to the dedicated cattle market at Bhata Chowk due to what they said the increased market fee.
Earlier, the Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation, the Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards had banned the sale of sacrificial animals on stalls or streets ahead of Eidul Azha.
In this regard, the district administration had also issued a notification imposing a ban on the open sale of sacrificial animals.
However, the sellers of all the adjoining areas of Rawalpindi district have stopped taking animals to the dedicated cattle market and have started selling a pair of four to five small animals and two large animals at the temporary set up stall, streets and streets in the city.
After selling the animals, the sellers bring more animals to sell them to residents in different city and cantonment areas.
Sacrificial animals are being sold all day long till late at night on roads and streets.
A seller, Malik Fayyaz, claimed that there was no arrangement of shade, water and electricity in the cattle markets, so by roaming around in the city, they sell animals on roads and streets easily and at cheap rates and fetch a handsome profit.
A buyer Atif Khan said that the cattle market was far away and the fare from the cattle market to the city was up to Rs4,000. He said that the prices of animals in local bazaars were up to Rs20,000 cheaper as compared to the cattle market.
A district administration spokesman said that there was a ban on the sale of animals in city streets, bazaars and roads.
Strict action in accordance with the law would be taken against those who sell animals in the city bazaars, he said adding an operation against the illegal sale of animals would be launched and animals would be confiscated. The district administration had set up 11 cattle markets for the sale of sacrificial animals in the Rawalpindi district.
The spokesman informed that the administration on the directives of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Tahir Farooq, had set up 11 cattle markets for Eidul Azha.
In Rawalpindi, cattle markets of sacrificial animals had been set up at Bhatta Chowk near Koh-e-Noor Mill, Rawalpindi Cantt; Adiala Road and Chakri Road.
Gujar Khan cattle market has been set up on Gulyana Road, Mangal Chowk near Kalar by-pass, Tanki road near Chan Shah Jalyar Kahuta, Chovera Bazaar near Rescue-1122, Kotli Sattian, HIT near Sunday Bazaar timber market road Taxila, Sharif Hospital Stop on G.T Road, Wah Cantt, Tehsil Road, Lower Bazaar Murree and Jhika Gali Murree.
He advised the citizens to adopt all possible precautionary measures to avoid Corona and Congo viruses on Eidul Azha.
The administration had restricted the free movement of sacrificial animals inside the city so that it could properly spray the animals at the entry points to ensure their protection from the virus, he added.
The administration had directed the officials of the livestock department to set up camps at all entry points to spray the animals against the tick.
The teams of the livestock department would also continue anti-congo spray in and at main entries of the cattle markets. Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards (RCB) had also imposed a ban on the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals on roads and open places in cantonment areas.
According to a RCB spokesman, the board on the directives of Cantonment Executive Officer, RCB Imran Gulzar had formed teams to check the illegal cattle markets in Cantonment areas, adding, no animal vendor would be allowed to bring sacrificial animals in the residential areas.
The sale and purchase of sacrificial animals on the roads and streets was banned and all-out efforts would be made to keep the cantonment areas neat and clean during the Eidul Azha days.
City Traffic Police (CTP) have also deployed 117 personnel including five DSPs, 18 Inspectors, 88 traffic wardens and six assistant traffic wardens to regulate traffic near cattle markets of the district.
