Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur rolls out project to set up a cow sanctuary

“If the experiment goes well, we will replicate the project in every district. Land has already been identified by the Deputy Commissioners to set up cow sanctuaries and even gausadans. The whole idea is to solve the problem of stray cattle and protect gau vansh by involving temple trusts, NGOs, panchayats and charitable organisations” the CM said. The concept of cow sanctuaries is much different than gaushalas and gausadans where the animals are kept indoor and fed in-house. Here the animals will be free to roam in the area fenced for keeping fixed number of cows.

“Since the land chosen has been a grassland and has sufficient natural fodder, there will not be compulsive stall feeding of the cows. Yet, we will built proper sheds and post caretakers, beside providing facilities like drinking water, veterinary services and develop some areas for growing fodder,” said a senior official of the animal husbandry department.

Initially, a local temple trust, Bala Sundri Mata Temple Trust, will be roped in for collaboration to spend 15 per cent of the funding (as per amendments done in the HP Religious Endowments and Temple Trust Act). But thereafter, the trust is expected to find some NGO or charitable trust to run the affairs of the cow sanctuary. After return of the BJP government, Chief Minister had set up a Cabinet sub-committee to propose measures for promotion of gau vansh and also constitute Gau Sewa Aayog in the state for protection and enrichment of the cow.

In the budget, Chief Minister, who is also finance minister, had announced a cow cess of Rs one on each bottle of liquor sold in the state to raise funds to the tune of Rs 8 crore every year for Gau Sadans and cow sanctuaries.

The government also has a plan to introduce free animal ambulance service for providing veterinary care at doorstep. Officials in the animal husbandry department said Madhya Pradesh is the only state which till now had introduced the concept of cow sanctuaries. Deputy Commissioner Kullu Yunus is also trying to develop his own model of gausadans, where stray animals are brought from the districts and kept in special shelter home.