The Uttar Pradesh government has instructed officials to increase the number of cattle shelters in the state and ensure that all stray animals are housed there and provided fodder as well as periodic health check-ups, according to an official release on Sunday.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sought a comprehensive plan for increasing the number of cattle shelters in the state which will be presented in the cabinet seeking budgetary approval, it said.
According to the release, all district magistrates have been asked to initiate necessary action for cow protection on a priority basis.
As of now, 6,889 cattle shelters are operational in the state, out of which 6,346 are in rural areas and 543 in urban areas. These shelters are currently taking care of 1,182,949 stray cattle.
The chief minister has been receiving complaints about the rise in the number of stray cattle on the roads across the state. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has also been targeting the BJP government over the issue.
The release said that during a high-level meeting recently, Chief Minister Adityanath has instructed officials to ensure proper care for stray cattle. For this, he has instructed officials to increase the number of cattle shelters across the state, it said.
He also emphasised the need to strengthen the financial and administrative management of cattle shelters to improve their overall conditions.
Additional Chief Secretary for Animal Husbandry Rajneesh Dubey said that in line with the chief minister’s intent, appropriate arrangements are being made for the well-being of as many stray cattle as possible.
This includes the restoration of damaged sheds, he said adding the government is also considering increasing the wages of labourers working in these shelters. District officials will regularly inspect shelter sites to assess the actual situation, Dubey said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)