Shivani Azad

DEHRADUN: To keep “genuine” cow protection activists safe and also check violence by “self-proclaimed vigilantes”, the Uttarakhand Gau Seva Aayog, a government body for overseeing cow protection measures, has decided to provide unique IDs to activists in the state.

The IDs will be linked to their Aadhaar cards and the district magistrates of all the 13 districts have been told to zero in on such people by taking Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in the loop within a month. The state has witnessed a surge in cases concerning cruelty against cows, with more than 150 FIRs registered in 2016-17, much more than in the past, according to data with the Aayog.

Aayog chairperson Narendera Rawat said, “It is important to draw a line between real workers and miscreants.This move will deter troublemakers from creating mayhem in the name of cow.”

The panel had earlier asked DMs to provide details of cow protectors in their respective districts, but no one paid heed to it. Rawat said, “The fresh directives have to be implemented in a time-bound manner, failing which action will be taken against  district magistrates “

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/aadhaar-linked-unique-ids-for-ukhand-cow-vigilantes/articleshow/59937158.cms