Ban on Beef export a clerical error, says Planning Commission

(1) Along with a large number of Steering Committees, Working Groups the Planning Commission had set up a working Group on Animal Husbandry and Dairying Chaired by Dr. V.K Taneja, Vice- Chancellor, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Science University,
Ludhinana, for suggesting changes in polices and programmes for development of the animal husbandry sector during Twelfth Five-Year Plan. The Working Group comprised experts, scientists, NGOs, senior government functionaries and other stakeholders, and has submitted its report in November, 2011. The report is available on the web-site of the Planning Commission.

 http://planningcommission.gov.in/aboutus/committee/wrkgrp12/agri/AHD_REPORT_Final_rev.pdf .

As with all working groups, the report makes recommendations of the expert body
which the Planning Commission / Government may or may not accept in formulating the Twelfth Plan.

(2) One of the recommendations of the report in Chapter XII, Para 12.3.1 reads as follows.

“The country needs to have consistent and uniform slaughter policy across different states to make the industry competitive. There is an existing ban on beef exports; therefore it is necessary to revise the EXIM Policy to allow beef export.”

(3) The Chairman of the Working Group has subsequently informed the Planning Commission that this recommendation was an inadvertent clerical mistake. He has suggested this recommendation should be considered as deleted. The necessary change has been made in the
report on the website.

(4) In so far as trade in beef is concerned it is well known that there is a ban on beef exports for decades along with ban on beef imports. The issue involves cultural sensitivity of millions of people; hence it cannot be viewed purely on a ‘commodity mode’. The Planning Commission has no intention of making any recommendation to change the present position.

Vishwa Hindu Prishad
Sankat Mochan Ashram, Sec.-6, R.K.Puram,
New Delhi-22