Minister Discloses CM’s Directive to Set Up Animal Shelters Across AP

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has decided to set up animal shelters across Andhra Pradesh to prevent accidents involving stray cattle on the roads, Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra disclosed on Wednesday. The minister said land allocation and release of funds will soon follow. He spoke to media persons while visiting the cattle shelter set up at the Machilipatnam Agricultural Market Yard in August this year. Stray cattle found causing traffic disruptions within the municipal limits are being shifted to the animal shelter created in the market yard. Ravindra said 326 cattle have so far been housed in the shelter. Of these, 269 have been returned to their owners after they paid the stipulated fee. The minister revealed that 16 cattle had died due to severe illness. Their post-mortem showed the presence of decayed plastic covers and undigested food in their stomachs. Ravindra said a special monitoring committee has been formed to oversee the cattle shelter’s functioning. He maintained that moving cattle roaming on roads to animal shelters will be a continuous process. Machilipatnam municipal commissioner T. Bapiraju, officials and local leaders accompanied the minister during the latter’s visit to the Machilipatnam Market Yard cattle shelter.