Govt to provide Rs 50 per day grant for every desi cow to ‘gaushalas’

“Different parts of the state have different types of desi cows. For example, Marathwad has Devni and Lalkandhari, Western Maharashtra has Khillar, north Maharashtra has Dangi and Vidarbha has Gavlau. However, the number of desi cows is decreasing every passing day,” it said.

The GR claimed that milk of desi cows has greater nutritious value and it is a complete meal since it carries food components important for human nutrition.
The reduction in the number of desi cows is cited as a serious issue considering cow milk’s importance in meals, use in Ayurveda and the use of cowpie and urine in organic farming.

“As a result of all this, indigenous cows will hereafter be declared as “Rajyamata Gaumata,” it said.

The decision to provide a grant of Rs 50 per day per desi cow to gaushalas was taken since the gaushalas are not economically viable. The scheme will be implemented online from Maharashtra Goseva Commission and each district will have a district gaushala inspection committee.

Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar slammed the state government saying it has remembered cow in the wake of the upcoming Assembly elections. “When cows were dying without food and water during drought, the government did not remember cows. When the ruling side took donation from the cow meat exporter, they did not remember cows. When the farmer was in trouble as milk was not given price, they did not remember cows. This announcement of Rajyamata is nothing but a poll jumla,” said Wadettiwar.

What could have triggered the move?

Upholding the Maharashtra government’s ban on slaughter of beef in the state, the Bombay High Court in 2016 had considered the government’s argument of decline in cattle population over the years.

The state government had submitted to the HC that the population of indigenous cattle ( adult female) in the state was 46.43 lakh in 1997, followed by 38.40 lakh in 2003, 36.5 lakh in 2007 and 33.02 lakh in 2012.

As per livestock census of 2019 for the state, the population of female indigenous cattle declined further. “The figures of 1997, 2003, 2007 and 2012 show that the cattle population in the state is steadily decreasing,” the HC had observed.