In a bid to tackle the growing cattle population challenges in there maintenance, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has approved the Mukhya Mantri Be-sahara Gau-Vansh Sahbhagita Yojana on August 7.

The state government has introduced the scheme in concurrence with the surge in stray cattle destroying crops in the fields and the rising unemployment across the state.

Under the scheme, the state government will be handing over one lakh cattle in government-run shelters to the farmers or people willing to take care of them. In the first phase of the scheme, the government will transfer Rs 30 per animal per day to the bank account of the care-taker.

The state government in a press release said, “According to the 2012 census, there are 205.66 lakh cattle in the state, of which around 10-12 lakh are stray animals. There are 523 registered cow shelters in the Uttar Pradesh at present and more are being built.”

The first phase of the mentioned scheme will cost around Rs 109 crore. The state government in the 2019-20 budget allocated Rs 600 crore for cattle welfare against the Rs 500 crore earmarked for improving the infrastructure of the primary and higher primary schools.

The allocated amount for the cattle welfare comprises of Rs 250 crore for the construction and upkeep of cattle shelters in rural areas along with additional Rs 200 crore for the same work in urban regions. A liquor cess was anticipated to generate additional revenue of Rs 165 crore to feed the animals.

Instead of such hefty investment, the state government had to suspend eight officials over the death of several cows in the state-run cattle shelters across Mirzapur and Ayodhya.

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