Assam introduces Bill to amend cattle preservation Act allowing individual transport
Assam's new Bill amends the 2021 Cattle Act, allowing personal cattle transport for agriculture and trade. The change aligns with a Gauhati High Court ruling.
- Mar 21, 2025,
- Updated Mar 21, 2025, 6:24 PM IST
The Assam government, on March 21, introduced a Bill amending the ‘Assam Cattle Preservation Act 2021’.
While only agencies and farms were given such permissions earlier, the amendment will allow individuals to transport cattle for bona fide agricultural, animal husbandry or trade purposes.
The ‘Assam Cattle Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2025’ was introduced in the Assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also handles the Home and Political departments.
The 'statement of objects and reasons' of the Bill said the proposed amendment would permit any person, along with agencies or farms registered under the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department of Assam, to transport cattle for legitimate agricultural or animal husbandry purposes or trade.
The change aligns the Act with a ruling by the Gauhati High Court on December 3, 2024, in case no. WP(C)/2495/2022, which allowed the petitioner to seek permission for transporting cattle for these purposes.
The original Act was passed by the Assembly in August 2021, which regulates slaughter, consumption and transportation of cattle in the state.