Khatal owners: United we stand Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, Sept. 28: The ?battle for cattle? is hotting up in the city.

The ?Laloo brigade? ? the state RJD legislators ? have assured the district RJD unit of their unflinching support in thwarting attempts by a determined district administration to shift about 550 khatals (cowsheds) from the heart of the city to its outskirts by September 30.

?Our seven RJD legislators shall be present in the city to see how the local administration uses force to shift the khatals after the deadline. If there is any court order on the issue, the khatal owners shall abide by it. But if there is no court order, the district administration has no right to evict them at this juncture when a series of festivals are in the offing,? the state RJD chief, Gautam Sagar Rana, told The Telegraph.

The district RJD president, Arun Yadav, had sought help from the state unit after a delegation of over 30 khatal owners met the deputy commissioner, Nitin Madan Kulkarni, requesting the latter to rethink on the administration?s decision to shift the structures.

RJD sources said that the party was also trying to mobilise the support of some of the Congress legislators to take part in the protest.

Even the Jugsalai JMM legislator, Dulal Bhuiyan, submitted a memorandum to Kulkarni, demanding the khatals within his assembly segment not be shifted to the outskirts of the city.

There are about 50 khatals in Jugsalai area that falls within his constituency. Kulkarni reiterated his stand that he would shift the khatals if the owners do not volunteer to shift them by the deadline that has been set.

?We are doing it to keep the city clean and tidy. Remember that cases of dengue have been detected in the city. Can the district administration remain idle?? questioned the deputy commissioner.

Apprehensive that the district administration would not heed to their requests, about 200 khatal onwers held an emergent meeting at Mango this evening to formulate their strategy. ?We are not going to reveal our strategy. But one thing is for sure that our party MLAs would be on our side if the administration uses force to evict the khatal owners,? stated the fuming district RJD president.