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Large cattle protection centres, rural fine mulled for lasting solution to stray menace in Uttar Pradesh
The stray cattle menace was touted as a big issue during the recently concluded assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh
The Yogi Adityanath government is considering setting up large and sustainable cattle protection centres with biogas plants apart from imposing fine on those found releasing cattle in rural areas, people in the know of things revealed. There would be at least one such centre in each district.
The move is being seen as an attempt to find a lasting solution to the stray cattle menace that was touted as a big issue during the recently concluded assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The department of animal husbandry on Monday made a presentation on a new plan to deal with the stray cattle problem. Chief secretary DS Mishra chaired the meeting. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will clear the final plan.
“We will hold another meeting with the chief minister shortly before the plan is finalised,” a senior government official said.
At the chief secretary level on Monday, it was proposed that the government would set up large and financially sustainable cattle protection centres, one each in all the 75 districts.
“The capacity of each such centre will be 1000 animals or more. Each such centre will have a biogas plant to produce cooking gas and sell the same to locals, apart from doing other activities like making products using cattle dung,” said the official.
“Besides, it was proposed that some fine should be imposed as deterrent on the villagers who release their cattle,” he added. The provision of the fine already existed in cities, he said.
The chief secretary is learnt to have lauded the animal husbandry department’s efforts in dealing with the stray cattle menace by already putting more than nine lakh strays in the cattle protection centres. He also indicated that now the responsibility of catching stray cattle and putting them into the cattle protection centres might be given to the panchayati raj department in the rural areas and the local bodies in the cities. The animal husbandry department’s job may largely be confined to ear-tagging, vaccination and treatment of cattle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in a rally before the fifth phase of the assembly polls that the solution to the stray cattle problem had been found and the same would be declared after March 10 (the date for the counting of votes).
“The PM might have discussed the cattle issue with the CM who met the former in Delhi on Sunday. And the chief minister may come out with a novel idea on the basis of his discussion with the PM to put an end to the stray cattle menace, when he holds a meeting with officials in this regard,” the official said.
