Warning to Kataragama cattle owners

M.Nelson Piyaratne, Kataragama group corr

Kataragama Police OIC Chief Inspector Laksiri Chandimal said it is illegal to release cattle on public roads.

"Owners could be sued if the public and motorists are inconvenienced," he said during an awareness meeting for cattle owners in Kataragama.

Laksiri said pilgrims have complained about the difficulty they face when the stray cattle grab fruit in trays offered to the Kataragama Maha Devalaya.

The OIC said that the annual Kataragama Esala festival will be held soon and requested the cooperation of cattle owners to keep the sacred city free of stray cattle.

"We have to protect the cattle that supplies milk and curd. We also have to look into the problems of cattle owners and forward them to the authorities for a solution. Otherwise, dairy farming will be affected," he said.

Forty cattle owners participated at the meeting. Sergeant Lalith Amarasinghe, Constables U.G.Palitha and A.S.D.Nandasiri organised the meeting.