Under pressure to tackle the menace of stray cattle, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed all District Magistrates in the State to ensure that stray cattle and destitute cows are sent to shelter homes “under any condition” by January 10, a week's time.
The cow shelter, popularly known as “kanji house”, has also been renamed as the Gau Sanrakshan Kendra or the Cow Conservation Centre.
In a meeting held with all DMs through videoconferencing late on Wednesday, Mr. Adityanath instructed them to transport stray cattle and destitute cows to these centres and ensure their nutrition and security. If these centres are without proper walls, they should be provided with fences while caretakers should also be appointed.
Mr. Adityanath’s fresh instructions come less than 48 hours after the State Cabinet headed by him decided to levy additional cess on excise items to fund “temporary” cow shelters in both urban and rural areas.
It comes amid uproar by farmers that stray cattle are damaging their crops and that the menace has increased since the BJP came to power in U.P. in March, 2017. Fed up with the problem, villagers in Aligarh and Firozabad last week even locked up hundreds of stray cattle in government health centres and schools to draw the government’s attention. In urban areas, many road accidents have been blamed on stray cattle.
However, Mr. Adityanath has directed officials to take tough action against those who have abandoned their cattle or tie their animals in government buildings or schools. According to a government spokesperson, Mr. Adityanath said “anti-social elements” try to tie up stray cattle in government buildings and schools with the intention of creating “a tense situation”, often leading to a law and order problem.
‘Fine for release’
“If a person comes to free their animal from the Gau Sanrakshan Kendra, a fine will be imposed on them,” a government spokesperson said, quoting Mr. Adityanath.
“The CM has instructed all DMs to take interest on cow conservation and work on a campaign level,” said the spokesperson.