Cabinet clears creation of cow commission

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved setting up of a commission to frame policy for protection and development of cows and help boost income of small farmers. The new body, which was announced in the interim budget, will work for conservation, protection and development of bovine livestock.

Interestingly, the proposal for setting up of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog has been cleared by the Cabinet, even though the interim budget is yet to be passed by the Parliament.

In another development, the Union Cabinet also approved the long standing demand of the film fraternity to curb piracy.

Official sources said that the Union Cabinet approved amendment to the Cinematograph Act for imposing strict penalties to combat the menace of film piracy.

To check piracy, particularly the release of pirated versions of films on the internet which causes huge losses to the film industry and the exchequer, the government has proposed to make film piracy a punishable offence with imprisonment of up to three years and fines that may extend to '10 lakh or both.

The Cabinet has approved the proposal for establishment of ‘Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog’ for conservation, protection and development of cows and their progeny, Union Law & IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The setting up of this commission will lead to conservation, protection and development of cattle population in the country including development and conservation of indigenous breeds, he said. It will result in increased growth of livestock sector which will benefit women, and small and marginal farmers, the minister added.

"The Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog will work in collaboration with Veterinary, Animal Sciences or Agriculture University or departments or organizations of the Central/Stategovernment engaged in the task of research in the field of breedingand rearing of cow,organic manure, biogas etc," an official statement said.