Manpreet Singh
Amritsar ( ) National Hindu Chetna Manch’s National President and AAP leader Ashok Dimpy Chauhan, speaking at a meeting organized by the Manch’s state president Anuj Khemka in Gopal Nagar, said that stray animals roaming the streets in various cities of the district are causing accidents. The danger has increased even more during the winter season due to fog. Animals standing and sitting on the roads are not visible because of the fog, causing vehicle drivers to fall victim to accidents. He mentioned that no action has been taken by the administration and the municipal corporation regarding this issue.
Dimpy Chauhan stated that Punjab is the only state in the country where, since 2016, a cow cess tax has been levied on people. Initially, this tax was imposed on petrol, diesel, English and desi liquor, cement, electricity bills, and two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles. At that time, the government argued that this tax was meant to reduce road accidents. The funds collected from this tax were supposed to be used for managing cow shelters and removing stray animals from the streets and lanes.
However, Dimpy Chauhan pointed out that no new cow shelters have been opened with the money collected from the cow cess. He added that even today, many stray animals roam the streets and alleys, posing a serious threat, especially to children. He demanded that the government take measures to ensure the safety of the public.
The meeting was attended by Raman Luthra, Simple Chauhan, Goldy Luthra, Sandeep Sharma, Jeevan Arora, Shankar Arora, Rakesh Khanna, and Vishal Sharma.
