RAIPUR: The Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh has taken one more step towards furthering its cow-friendly initiatives.
The chief minister on Saturday launched a new scheme wherein mobile medical units with a veterinary team would be deployed in every district for the treatment of cattle.
“In the first phase of the Mukhyamantri Govansh Mobile Chikitsa Yojana, 1-2 mobile veterinary units would be deployed in every district. It would be further expanded,” said a government official.
The Baghel government has been associating the welfare of cows with politics as well as economic activities.
Baghel is often heard saying, “They (BJP) link cows with religion but we have connected it with practical economic pursuit.”
It had earlier launched a scheme, Gaudhan Nyay Yojana, to procure cow dung, becoming the first state to do so.
The state government has decided to expand the scope of the scheme to include gaumutra (cow urine) as well.
Chhattisgarh also has 8,408 villages with the gauthan set-up, where loitering cattle are kept and taken care of with the objective to revive the rural economy.
Cattle are currently given medical treatment at the government veterinary hospitals as well as the gauthans.
“Such a move on better healthcare services should be seen beyond the context of pure politics,” said Sudeip Shrivastava, a political observer.
“The major focus of the Congress regime remains on farmers and farming. Cows play a major supportive role for agrarian communities and are important for rural economy, including organic farming. So the decision is justified even if it has some political colour to counter the BJP,” he added.