NEW DELHI: While the homeless roam the streets of India and Dalits are thrashed for transporting cows, the Central government has decided to give stray cattle, including the holy cow, dignified shelter. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has embarked on an ambitious plan to ensure that the 52 lakh stray cattle on India’s streets are taken care of and do not end up eating plastics and garbage strewn on roads.
The ministry has asked the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to assess the financial requirement for setting up gaushalas (cow shelters) and upkeep of registered ones to accommodate stray cattle, which are abandoned after they stop giving milk. Plans are afoot to work with cattle owners to apprise them about the economics of “dry” cattle.
The ministry has also asked AWBI , a statutory advisory body advising the government of India on animal welfare laws and promoting animal welfare, to work with state governments to assess gaushalas.
“We have asked AWBI to carry out an exercise whereby a financial assessment is done to know the budget that will be required to ensure all stray cattle are in shelter homes,” said a ministry official. “The plan is to work with states so that gaushalas are registered and rope in private gaushalas for the programme.”
The move comes at a time when concerns have been raised over the NDA government reducing the budget for gaushalas. The money for gaushals is allotted to AWBI.
The total financial grant to the board was Rs 1,200.74 crore in 2014-15, but was cut to Rs 784.85 crore in 2015-16. The budget for the upkeep of cow pens was also reduced in the past two years from Rs 480.77 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 141.03 crore in 2015-16.
There are 1,821 registered gaushalas with the Centre and about Rs 25 lakh is allotted to each annually. Gaushala management committees have been asking for more funding to provide for fodder and management requirements such as manpower and veterinary expenses for the abandoned cattle.
According to the Livestock Census 2012, of 52,87,767 stray cattle, 43,06,495 are in villages and 9,81,272 in urban areas.