Ahead of LS polls, MP govt set to open 1,000 gaushalas

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath has rolled out the plan to establish 1000 cow shelters across the state in coming four months at a cost of Rs 450 crore, ahead of March-April Lok Sabha elections.

The decision was taken by a high level official meeting chaired by the chief minister here late on Tuesday evening.

“The proposed ‘Gaushalas’ or cow shelters will provide care to nearly one lakh stray cattle in rural and urban areas in the state.

The move will not only help end the stray cattle menace but also generate employment for youth in the state”, an official spokesman told this newspaper on Wednesday.

Funds for setting up the ‘Gaushalas’ would be mobilised from the anti-poverty MGNREGS and allocations made to MPs and MLAs under the Local Area Development scheme, the spokesman said.

The state government was also mulling to invite private participation in the project, to be run on the basis of ‘own-operate-manage’, generating employment opportunities for local unemployed youths.

“There are total 614 ‘Gaushalas’ operating in the state under private management. But, not a single cow shelter is run by state government”, the chief minister told the meeting.

Opposition BJP however saw in the move a design by the ruling Congress to ‘harvest’ votes in the name of cows in the upcoming LS elections in the state.

“Scores of cattle in the country’s only cow sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh have perished due to starvation and biting cold. Around 40 cattle died in the last few days in the sanctuary for want of food and lack of protection from winter.

But, the state government has announced to set up cow shelters across the state. This is nothing but publicity stunt by the state government keeping in view the forthcoming parliamentary elections”, a spokesman of BJP here said.