pune the state animal husbandry department has requested the government to include unproductive male buffaloes above one year of age for sale and slaughter under the schedule of maharashtra animal preservation act 1976 maharashtra is not the only state seeking exclusion states like kerala too have put up similar representations and officials have stated that the government is rethinking exempting buffaloes from the no slaughter list the union environment ministry on may 26 passed the no slaughter list to prevent cruelty to animals earlier the legislation included only unproductive female buffaloes and calves between the age of 3and 12 months there should be clarity in the schedule as there are many productive animals that are being illegally slaughtered this will help us in conducting the necessary checks an animal husbandry department official said monitoring committees at the state and district levels will be set up to implement the rules