Cow deaths: Another Chg animal husbandry official suspended

The Chhattisgarh government today suspended another official of the Animal Husbandry department and removed four non-official members of the state Gau Sewa Ayog over the large-scale death of cows in three state-aided shelters recently.
The death of around 200 cows between August 16 and 18 at the gaushalas, run by a BJP leader and his relatives in Durg and Bemetara districts, occurred due to "starvation and lack of care", according to state officials.
"Shankar Lal Uike, the Deputy Director at the Raipur- based State-Level Veterinary Hospital, was suspended with immediate effect for dereliction of duty," an official said tonight.
He said Uike failed to take protective measures and was negligent while discharging his duty that led to the sudden deaths of the bovines at the three cowsheds.

"Besides, the appointment of four non-official members of the Chhattisgarh Rajya Gau Sewa Ayog, made in 2016 for a period of three years, has been quashed," the official said.
The four members are Ramesh Yadu, Dhaniram Yadav, Deendayal Yadav and Sewa Ram.

The government has also relieved two other officials of the department, Joint Director SK Panigrahi and Veterinary Assistant Surgeon RG Devras, of the additional charge of the Ayog.
Panigrahi was holding additional charge as Secretary and Devras as Registrar, he said.
The development came on a day the government set up a judicial commission to probe the reasons behind the death of the cows and to make recommendations about improving the condition of 'gaushalas.'

The Raman Singh government, that has been under attack from the Congress opposition, cracked the whip after it came to light that Shagun Gaushala in Rajpur village (Durg district), Phoolchand Gaushala in Godmarra village and Mayuri Gaushala in Rano village (Bemetara district) lacked proper management to take care of cows, according to the official.
While Shagun Gaushala was run by local BJP leader Harish Verma in Durg, the two other cowsheds in Bemetara were operated by his relatives. Five people, including Verma, have so far been arrested in connection with these deaths.
After it came to light, the government had suspended nine employees of the animal husbandry department, including two deputy directors.

It also formed a four-member Cabinet sub-committee to review the arrangements at cow shelters.