Raj govt spent Rs 138 cr for care of bovines

The Rajasthan government has earned Rs 151.50 crore from the 10 per cent surcharge levied on stamp duty for cow conservation and propagation in the year 2016-17.

Of the total income earned from the surcharge, the state government spent Rs 138.67 crore towards the care of bovines and maintenance of cow shelters, according to data released by the state government in a release today.

Under proposals for cow conservation and propagation fund rules-2016, the state government provided Rs 126.89 crore for fodder and water of 4.71 bovines at 1,036 cow shelters in the state.

A total of Rs 11.79 crore has been sanctioned for 155 other cow shelters, according to the data.
 

The state government has provided funds upto Rs 21.24 crore to 196 cow shelters running in Jalore, Sirohi and Pali district.

A sum of Rs 5. 03 crore was given to cow shelters including Sri Gopal Govardhan, Pathmera, Hanuman Nandi and Golasan in Jalore district as financial, according to the data.

In Barmer and Udaipur districts, Rs 4.46 crore were given to 44 cow shelters for fodder and water. In the year 2015-16, state government spent Rs 1.8 crore for nurturing 4,449 bovines rescued from smuggling and slaughtering, the release said.

Subsequently, in the year 2016-17, Rs 1.6 crore were provided for 4611 bovines, it added.

Earlier, Rajasthan Congress Chief Sachin Pilot had expressed concern over rain-related death of bovines due to infection in government and private cow sheds, especially in Jalore and Sirohi district.

"I have got to know about the death of 536 bovines in Pathmera Gaushalas and several others are on death bed. The BJP government talks a lot about cow protection but the talks are far from reality. State government should take immediate steps to save bovines," Pilot had said.

Office incharge of Shree Manorama Golok Tirth Nandgaon, a subsidiary of Pathmera Gaushalas, Khetesh Rajpurohit said that due to heavy rainfall in Jalore and Sirohi, more than 800 cows/bovines had died.