New Delhi: The newly elected BJP government in West Bengal has issued an amended public notice under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, to strictly enforce cattle slaughter rules, reiterating that no cattle or buffalo can be slaughtered without mandatory official certification declaring the animal fit for slaughter.The notice also clarifies that no slaughter can take place in open public places, animals are allowed to be slaughtered only at municipal slaughterhouses or specially designated facilities by the local administration.Under the rules, a fitness certificate will be issued only when the Chairman of the Municipality or the Chairman of the Panchayat Samiti, jointly with the Government Veterinary Officer, certifies in writing that the animal is either above 14 years of age and no longer fit for work or breeding, or has become permanently disabled due to old age, injury, deformity or any incurable disease.If an application for certification is rejected, the applicant may appeal to the State Government within 15 days of receiving the rejection.Violation of the West Bengal Control of Slaughter of Animals Act, 1950 is punishable with imprisonment up to six months, fine up to Rs 1,000, or both.The move cites provisions of the 1950 law as well as a 2018 Calcutta High Court order, effectively strengthening existing legal restrictions rather than introducing an entirely new law.The development comes days after the BJP’s landslide victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, marking the end of Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule. Mamata Banerjee. The BJP won 206 seats in the 294-member assembly, much higher than its previous tally of 77, while the TMC was reduced to 80 seats.The revised notice is one of the first major administrative measures announced by the new government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.