BHOPAL: The Kamal Nath-led Congress government is working on a three-pronged action plan for providing shelter and food to about 7 lakh stray cattle, in line with the party’s promises made for the conservation of cattle in the 2018 Madhya Pradesh elections.
“In 41 districts, the situation is critical particularly in 10 districts of Vindhya, Bundelkhand and Gwalior-Chambal region. The government is determined to open 1,000 gaushalas (cowsheds) for stray cattle. Land was identified for 958 gaushalas. Each of these cowsheds with a capacity to shelter 200 cattle will come up on six acres of land. We target to build 1,000 gaushalas in next six months. I can assure you that none of the around 7 lakh stray cattle will be seen on roads, markets or in agricultural plots after 2020,” Animal Husbandry Minister Lakhan Singh Yadav told this newspaper.
According to Yadav, there are 614 gaushalas with about 1.75 lakh cows, but all of them are either private or NGO-operated.
“In the previous regime, a meagre sum of `1.33 per cattle for feed was provided daily. It was increased to Rs 4.32 per cattle daily when we came to power. Now we’ve made the provision for a five-fold hike in the money for daily feed of the cattle by increasing it to Rs 20. Unlike the BJP which uses cows for politics, cow for us is a matter of faith, whose proper conservation and care will even enable commercial production of products manufactured from cow dung and urine,” the minister maintained.
The Congress government also plans to use vast tracts of land of temples for opening more such gaushalas. In Yadav’s native Gwalior district, a cowshed has come up on about 20 acres of land which can house over 1,000 cattle. The Madhya Pradesh government is scouting for more such big temple premises.
The third part of the three-pronged cow protection strategy envisages encouraging the private participation for cow care and commercialisation of products made from cow dung and urine in the state.
SHELTER FOR STRAY CATTLE
7 lakh stray cattle is present on MP roads, markets and fields as per the 2012 animal census.
614 gaushalas presently house 1.75 lakh cattle.
1,000 gaushalas planned by govt in the next six months.
Land for 958 gaushalas already identified.
Big temples to be encouraged to use their sprawling land to open cowsheds which could accommodate 1,000-plus cattle.
Money for a daily feed of cattle to be hiked.