Assam's cow protection Bill bans sale of beef within 5km of temple

Imprisonment up to eight years and fine up to ₹5 lakh prescribed for violating the provisions

Prior to tabling the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, in the 126-member Assembly on July 12, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said its primary objective was to check the smuggling of cows to Bangladesh. It also seeks to restrict the sale of beef in areas dominated by non-beef consuming communities and within a 5-km radius of temples and ‘satras’ (Vaishnav monasteries) formed by the 15-16th century saint-reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva. The Bill seeks to replace the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950, that allows the slaughter of cattle above 14 years of age or those that have become permanently incapacitated due to work, breeding, accident or deformity after local veterinary officers certify that they are fit for slaughter.