Shimla: As more and more farmers stop dairy farming and abandon milch animals, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has appealed to the people to provide shelter to the destitute animals for which the government is will to provide financial support.
After virtually inaugurating a Gau Sadan at Sunni, the chief minister said that the recently conducted 20th Animal Census conducted by the Union Government had concluded that there were 36,311 destitute animals in Himachal Pradesh.
For providing shelter to these destitute cows, mainly found along the state highways and rural roads, the state had constituted the HP Gau Seva Ayog for providing management of these animals.
The government has released Rs. 31.16 crore for the establishment and strengthening of cow sanctuaries and Gau Sadans in different parts of the state, he said. A Rs 2.22 crore amount has been spent for the construction of the Sunni Gau Sadan, he added.
The government was providing an assistance of Rs 500 per cow per month to the Gau Sadans in the State under the Gau Vansh Yojna, said Thakur.
Making an appeal to the people to come forward to provide proper care to the abandoned cows, especially during these cold winter days, he said that 220 Gau Sadans were being operated by Non-Government Organizations in the State.
Out of these, 127 Gau Sadans have been registered with Himachal Pradesh Gau Seva Aayog, he said.
The chief minister also informed that the government had signed an MoU with a private company, under which the company would provide shelter to about 3000 cows per cow sanctuary on PPP mode without the assistance of the Government.
A cow sanctuary has been established in Kotla Badog area of Sirmaur district by spending an amount of Rs 1.67 crore and Rs 2.97 crore has been spent on the construction of Handa Kudi Cow sanctuary in district Solan, said Jai Ram Thakur.
Animal Husbandry Minister Virender Kanwar said that Gau Sadan at Sunni would have the capacity to house 500 cows and would ensure proper shelter for the stray cattle.
