JMC, trust ink pact for upkeep of Hingonia gaushala for 19 yrs

Jaipur: For maintenance of the state-owned cow shelter Hingonia gaushala, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Sri Krishna Balram Sewa Trust signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 19 years.

On the occasion of Gopashtami on Saturday, Chief minister Vasundhara Raje visited Hingonia gaushala. The MoU was signed in the presence of Raje. It has been decided to set up a carcass plant for scientifically disposal within one year on Built Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. JMC will give Rs 50 per day for one cow and Rs 32.50 for calf for their fodder.

Raje said, "Gau sewa and polythene use cannot go hand in hand. We have imposed ban on polythene to save cows. People should stop using polythene bags and encourage others to stop using it. It will be true gau sewa."

She instructed officials to organise events every week in the city making people aware that polythene bags which they use and throw on city roads are eaten by cows, which makes them unhealthy and eventually they die.

Sri Krishna Balram Sewa Trust was jointly founded by JMC and Akshya Patra Foundation.

The JMC handed over the functioning of gaushala in October last year to Akshya Patra Foundation. Earlier, it was only for only for six months (up to March 2017), but later they extended it to September 30. Now, the JMC has signed fresh MoU with Sri Krishna Balram Sewa Trust (SKBST) for 19 years.

The JMC had drawn flak which was maintaining the gaulshaha till Octover 2016 as during the monsoon of 2016 thousands of bovines at Hingonia shelter had reportedly died within a span of few days. Vasundhara Raje government was accused of apathy towards sick bovines despite having a separate department for cows.

In first seven months of 2016, more than 7,000 cows had died in Hingonia, which forced the JMC to hand over maintenance of gaushala to Akshya Patra Foundation.

The Akshya Patra Foundation, which has taken care of the gaushala for past one year had to bury dead cows in the four-hectare land adjoining the cow shelter. Since, it is doing for past few months, it has faced huge problem of space as every inch of this land has already being utilized for the purpose.

Raje also inaugurated an state-of-the-art operation theatre for cows. The guashala has an ICU now for cows which was inspected by Raje.