Under pressure to tackle the menace of stray cattle, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed all District Magistrates in the State to ensure that stray cattle and destitute cows are sent to shelters homes “under any condition” in a week’s time, by January 10.
The cow shelter, popularly known as a kanji house, has also been renamed as the Gau Sanrakshan Kendra or the Cow Conservation Centre.
In a meeting held with all District Magistrates (DM) through video conferencing late on Wednesday, Mr. Adityanath instructed them to transport stray cattle and destitute cows to these centres and ensure their nutrition and security. If these centres are without proper walls, they should be provided with fences while caretakers should also be appointed, the government said.
Mr. Adityanath’s fresh instructions come less than 48 hours after the State cabinet headed by him decided to levy additional cess on excise items to fund “temporary” cow shelters in both urban and rural areas.
Farmers are agitated that stray cattle are damaging their crops and that the menace has increased since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in U.P. in March 2017. Fed up with the problem, villagers in Aligarh and Firozabad last week locked up hundreds of stray cattle in government health centres and schools to draw the State’s attention. In urban areas, several road accidents have been blamed on stray cattle.
However, Mr. Adityanath has directed officials to take tough action against those who have abandoned their cattle or tied their animals to government buildings or schools. According to a government spokesperson, Mr. Adityanath said “anti-social elements” try to tie up stray cattle in government buildings and schools with the intention of creating “a tense situation,” often leading to a law and order problem.
“If a person comes to free their animal from the Gau Sanrakshan Kendra, a fine will be imposed on them,” a government spokesperson said, quoting Mr. Adityanath.
“The CM has instructed all DMs to take interest on cow conservation and work on a campaign level,” said a spokesperson.
Mr. Adityanath also instructed all DMs to utilise the funds sanctioned for the construction and maintenance of Kanha Gaushalas and stray cattle shelters in civic bodies under the budget — ₹60 crore in 2017-18 and ₹95 crore in 2018-19. An additional amount of ₹23.5 crore has been sanctioned for providing fodder.
DMs have been asked to take the support of local people, traders and elected representatives in setting up the Cow Conservation Centres.
