Belagavi Administration Invites PETA India to Conduct Workshop for Over 150 Officials on Safe and Animal-Friendly Transport for Chinchali Jatra
Over 150 officials from various deparments – Police, Animal Husbandry, Revenue, Transport, and Panchayat –from across Belagavi district gathered at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Belagavi, to attend a sensitisation workshop conducted by PETA India on the implementation and enforcement of the order issued by the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate (DC & DM) of Belagavi, Sri Mohammad Roshan, IAS, to ensure safe and animal-friendly transport to and from the annual Chinchali Fair (Mayakka Devi Jatra). Sri Mohammad Roshan, IAS, DC & DM, Belagavi; Sri K. Ramarajan, IPS, Superintendent of Police (SP), Belagavi Rural; Dr Ravi S. Saligoudar, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Belagavi; Sri Rohit Singh, IAS (P), were among those in attendance.
Following concerns raised by PETA India, the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate, Belagavi, Sri Mohammad Roshan, IAS, issued a landmark order under Section 31 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, mandating the use of animal-free transport to and from the annual Chinchali Mayakka Devi Fair. The order prohibits the use of animal-drawn carts for passenger transportation; the movement of animals to and from the fair, animal races and similar activities; and other practices that may cause suffering to animals and endanger public safety. We commend the district administration, Sri Mohammad Roshan, IAS, and all participating departments for taking animal protection and public safety seriously. The order also directs coordinated enforcement by the Police, Transport, Revenue, Animal Husbandry Departments, and local authorities. Many devotees have undertaken the journey using bullock-, horse-, and pony-drawn carts over hundreds of kilometres, but the order seeks to ensure the use of buses and other non-animal transport for animal welfare and to reduce traffic accident risk. With the new order, local NGO Animal Rahat is committed to taking steps to ensure all devotees who require buses or alternate mechanised transport to Chinchali Fair are provided with it.
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The sensitisation workshop was led by Meet Ashar, PETA India’s Legal Advisor and Director of Cruelty Response, with assistance from Sinchana Subramanyan, Senior Cruelty Response Coordinator, PETA India. It was made possible under the compassionate and visionary leadership of Shri Mohammad Roshan, IAS, DC & DM, Belagavi. It covered the order by the DC & DM, applicable provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960; the rules made thereunder; the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; departmental responsibilities under the DC & DM’s order; enforcement mechanisms; and legal provisions applicable for violations of the order.
This important initiative was made possible under the compassionate and visionary leadership of Shri Mohammad Roshan, IAS, DC & DM, Belagavi, whose directions called for sensitisation programmes for government officials prior to the commencement of the Chinchali Fair to facilitate coordinated implementation of the order across departments.
When bulls, horses, and other animals are forced to travel hundreds of kilometres to fairs under harsh conditions, many collapse from exhaustion, suffer injuries, fractures, or die, while humans are also placed at risk of serious road accidents. Often, to keep the animals moving despite pain and fatigue, spiked weapons and electric prods are used.
PETA India welcomes the measures introduced by the Belagavi district administration to safeguard animal welfare and public safety during the Chinchali Fair and is pleased to support the district administration in this effort. These initiatives are part of PETA India’s ongoing efforts to sensitise law enforcement personnel and government officials across India in animal protection laws, ensuring that crimes against animals are addressed with the seriousness they deserve and that animal protection laws are effectively enforced.
PETA India has also written to the District Collectors of Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Satara, requesting them to issue similar orders. The letters also seek their cooperation in enforcing the order of the DC & DM, Belagavi.
