The State government’s ambitious scheme to build permanent shelters in 34 districts for old cows that have stopped yielding milk has failed to gain traction a year after it was unveiled.
Data from the State Animal Husbandry Department shows that Govardhan Govansh Raksha Kendras across districts have received only 250 applications from self-help groups and local organisations for setting up cow shelters.
The scheme, which was allocated ₹34 crore by Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar in the State budget last year, has received a tepid response from farmers and tribals. Most of the applications received so far have come from Latur, Amravati and Nagpur.
Senior officials of the Animal Husbandry Department said the response from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Aurnagabad has been poor. An official said, “Authorities have received 117 applications from Amravati and 48 from Latur.”
Officials said that not a single application had been received from tribal areas in Palghar and Thane, the milk producing districts of Kolhapur and Sindhudurg, and districts such as Pune, Dhule and Wardha.
Tribal activist Milind Thatte said, “The response has been poor as commercial breeding is low in tribal areas. Traditionally, tribals do not prefer to milk cows. It is also easy to maintain old cows as grass and fodder are in abundance in tribal areas.”
The scheme was announced two years ago to ensure old cows are not abandoned following the government’s ban on killing of cows and bullocks. Since then, the government has been receiving a number of complaints over the maintenance of old animals. The scheme received approval last year and each district was awarded ₹1 crore to implement the scheme.
The scheme was intended to be implemented through NGOs that had a minimum of three years of experience in protecting cows, a land bank of 15 acres and a registration with the charity commissioner. The government believed that NGOs could look after the cattle shelters and earn profits from the sale of cow dung and urine.
Agriculture Minister Eknath Khadse had said, “Cattle by-products have multiple uses. From producing bio-gas fuel to enhancing agriculture produce through use of solid waste, they can be of great utility.” In some cases, the kendras would make provisions for transporting the manure to other villages and help conserve the local breed of cattle.
