Ground-breaking ceremony performed for Gir cow sanctuary

Gujarat minister Babu Bokhiriya today performed ground-breaking ceremony for Gir cow sanctuary, touted as the first such sanctuary in the country, at Dharampur near Porbandar in the state.
The sanctuary, to be set up with the support of union government over 350 acres of barren land, would be ready within two years, a press release said.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 41.8 crore for it.
The purpose of the sanctuary is to preserve the Gir breed of cows and increase their population through semen preservation as well as raise their milk yield so as to increase farmers' income, Bokhiriya, Porbandar MLA and Minister of Water Resources and Animal Husbandry, said.

Junagadh Agriculture University is helping the state government in the setting up of the sanctuary, the release said.