Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Radha Mohan Singh today faced the ire of 'gau' workers who protested against the "inadequate" infrastructure for protection of cows at the national conference on 'gauvansh' and 'gaushalas' here.
The ministers faced interruptions and sloganeering when a group of gau workers protested during the conference over inadequate allocation of funds for their livestock and rampant incidents of cattle smuggling across the border.
While addressing the conference on 'gauvansh' (cow clan) and 'gaushalas' (cow shed), Singh had to briefly stop his speech and pacify the participants after they objected to his statement that states like Rajasthan were providing some subsistence allowance to those having cow as their livestock.
A number of people in the audience were seen interrupting the minister saying they have "never received" any support funds or facilities to conserve cows or 'gaushalas' in their states and that central funds also did not reach them.
The Union Minister later told the audience that while he agreed and sympathised with their grievances, he will ensure that work was done in this regard.
Javadekar also had to face the anger of the participants, who got up from their seats alleging that there was no curb on the illegal smuggling of cows and cattle across the Indian border.
The participants, many of whom owned 'gaushalas' or large livestock for farming and other purposes, alleged the government was not taking adequate steps in protecting the bovine by way of implementing strict laws against their killing and providing adequate funds for their conservation.
The gau workers also waved a cloth bag, issued by the Forest and Environment Ministry for the participants of the event, alleging that the picture depicted on it resembled a 'jersy' cow and not an Indian or 'desi' one.
Javadekar had to spend few minutes to pacify the crowd saying the conference was meant to find solutions to these issues and the central government and his ministry will go through the suggestions and recommendations that are made after the conclusion of the day-long meeting which also included scientists and dairy research professionals.
In more trouble for the speakers at the event, the protesters also stopped K P Ramesha, Principal Scientist, National Dairy Research Institute, from delivering his speech in English. He was asked to speak in Hindi.
A slew of measures including creation of exclusive dairy plants for 'desi' cows, producing cow fodder under MGNREGA and empowering animal welfare boards to take action against illegal smuggling and slaughtering, were agreed upon at the national conference, to conserve 'gauvansh' and 'gaushalas' in the country.
