PANJIM, Dec. 12 -- On Wednesday, Karnataka's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government passed a Bill in the State Assembly, banning cow slaughter.

The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2020, which envisages a ban on all forms of cattle slaughter and stringent punishment for offenders, is an edited version of a Bill that was passed in 2010, again when the BJP was in power.

The new Bill also prescribes new punishments for transport of cattle, sale of meat and purchase or disposal of cattle for slaughter, a prison term of three to five years and a fine ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.

Goa will have a direct impact due to this step taken by neighbouring Karnataka. "Goa imports 90 per cent of meat products...