There are approximately 2400 government-run or government-aided cow shelters throughout the state, a cow protection board, a cow cabinet, and yet the older Madhya Pradeshi cows still don’t have enough food. The authorities of four cow shelters in Bhopal were found not to be receiving regular payments from the state government, according to an NDTV inspection of the facilities.
In order to win votes, Congress pledged during the election to boost financial support for cows from ₹ 20 to ₹ 40 per day.
Cow dung and cow urine have not been purchased, despite the previous chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s promise.
At the Maa Gayatri Gaushala in the heart of Bhopal city, there are roughly 140 cows. The Gayatri temple’s grounds contain the shelter.
According to Subhash Sharma, President of the Gaushala Trust, the ₹ 20 grant is not only insufficient but also only given out once every four to five months.
Many people come to the cowshed in the middle of the city to feed their animals.
There are more than 600 cows at Kokta Mahamrityunjay Gaushala, which is outside the city. Here, the civic body abandons cows that are hurt and in need. The majority of cows are elderly and do not produce milk.
This shelter has been run by Gaushala chairman Govind Vyas for 20 years. According to a former bank employee, cows must pay between ₹60 and ₹70 for fodder alone. The grant is far less than what is needed. According to him, even that only occurs once every six or seven months. He feeds the cows with money from his pension.
A member of the same gaushala, Brijesh Vyas, claimed to have made multiple appeals to the government. “The cost of water, let alone fodder, cannot be met by Rs 20. A quintal of chaff costs ₹ 700 these days. A cow needs at least 25 kg of straw per day for fodder, the man stated.
The last grant was given in August to the 75-cow Nandini Gaushala in Kaliyasot, Bhopal. The proprietor stated that government grants are delayed by six to seven months.
In Madhya Pradesh, there are two kinds of cow shelters: 618 cowsheds, which have roughly 1.5 lakh cows, are government-recognized. In addition, 1,800 cow shelters housing 2,80 lakh cows were constructed on government land using MNREGA funds.
According to the government, each of the more than 4 lakh cows receives ₹ 20 per day in grants. It stated that all payments are paid through December 31.
The Minister of Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Lakhan Patel, acknowledged that the grant was reduced. There is an attempt to raise it. However, he continued, “Leaving animals on the roads is our biggest issue.
The state increased the fine for those found guilty of neglecting cattle or any other animal to ₹ 1000 last year.
45,800 distress calls regarding stray cattle were received in the last seven years, according to data from the police helpline; that works out to 18 calls per day on average.
For the past twenty years, Madhya Pradesh has maintained a Gau Samvardhan Board, which protects cows. In an effort to safeguard cattle and encourage the use of dairy products, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the formation of a “cow cabinet” three years ago.
The Gau Samvardhan board’s website hasn’t been updated since the state elections. The statement reads, “Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan” is the president, and the vice president is Prem Singh Patel, a former minister of animal husbandry who was defeated in the election.
