Khargar cow shelter told to move out by Cidco, activists worried | Navi Mumbai News – Times of India

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NAVI MUMBAI: A Kharghar-based cow shelter in sector 1, which houses over 125 cows and calves, has been told to pack up and move out by Cidco, which has caused huge concern among the animal rights activists running the goshala (cow shelter).
A letter by the Cidco’s controller of unauthorized constructions (CUC) to the shelter founder, Shailesh Khotkar, was recently sent, asking for the evacuation within 15 days.
Talking to TOI, activist Khotkar of Pujya Gowalkar Guruji Charitable Trust, said: “We have been rescuing and sheltering cows here, close to the creek area, for 10 years now. In 2014, the Kharghar police officials had also recommended to Cidco to formally allow our shelter on this site, since we were actively helping the police and civic authorities in animal welfare work, especially the rescues of cows. Hence, we are now worried after receiving this Cidco letter asking us to move out. Where will be go with the 125 cows?”
Khotkar, who has written to Cidco’s top officials and also to the state authorities, added: “In the past, there have been criminal cases in Kharghar and other parts of Raigad district wherein the cows on the streets were first injected with drugs so that they are sedated, and then illegally taken away in tempos by butchers. We had helped the police in several such cases to nab the criminals and rescue the cows. If Cidco wants us to move out of this Kharghar site, then they should provide us with an alternative land so that we can continue with the goshala work.”
While the Cidco spokesperson was unavailable for comment, another official informed that CUC usually sends notices or letters after finding any discrepancies with regards to unauthorised constructions or land encroachments. So, the aggrieved party may produce the relevant documents to the Cidco officials to safeguard their property.
Khotkar, though, added: “We may even file a PIL in the high court if Cidco refuses to understand our tough situation of looking after so many cows. Almost every second day we get distress calls from various areas informing how cows or calves have been harmed by butchers or due to rash motorists on the roads. We will also meet the Cidco MD soon in this regard, as it will be tragic and insensitive if Cidco goes ahead and actually demolishes our cow shelter.”
He further mentioned that prior to establishing the cow shelter at Kharghar, their group had sheltered the bovines at another site at Asudgaon in Panvel, but they had to move out of there due to certain technical issues, and thereby settled in Kharghar, close to the creekside.

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