BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 23rd March 2026: The Tripura High Court has strongly criticized the state government for denying permission to transport cattle out of the state, directing immediate issuance of transit permits in response to a petition filed by the voluntary organization Dhyan Foundation.
The single-judge bench of Justice Amarnath Gour observed that the government has no statutory authority to obstruct lawful inter-state transportation of animals. He dismissed the state’s arguments, noting that officials had previously refused to provide fodder on the grounds of price disparity—₹24.70 per kilogram in Tripura compared to ₹1 elsewhere—while simultaneously withholding relocation permits.
Justice Gour questioned whether the government intended to provide land and subsidized fodder for the growing cattle population. “If the petitioner organization were to leave this state today, would the government then spend crores of rupees to assume responsibility for the thousands of cattle currently under their care?” he asked. The government counsel’s hesitant response—“It probably would”—prompted astonishment from the Court.
The bench further highlighted that the government’s claim of distributing cattle to private individuals had no legal basis under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules, 2017. The Court also warned that such distribution could endanger the animals, given the prevalence of cattle smuggling into Bangladesh.
Advocate Harish Pandya, representing Dhyan Foundation, pointed out that the state had not raised these arguments in its earlier affidavit, prompting the Court to question why responses were being offered in a “piecemeal” manner. The Foundation currently cares for around 2,100 rescued cattle in Tripura, while its gaushala in Chakulia, Jharkhand, houses nearly 22,000 animals. The organization argued that relocation was necessary due to better infrastructure, lower feed costs, and enhanced security in Jharkhand.
Concurring with these submissions, the Court ruled that detaining the animals in Tripura amounted to cruelty. It directed the government to ensure unhindered transportation of the cattle to Jharkhand, emphasizing that indefinite delays in relocation were unacceptable.
