Punjab government to set up 22 gaushalas in state

Chandigarh, April 13, 2015: In compliance of the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Punjab Government has gone in an overdrive in the setting up of Gaushalas in every district of the state.

The Chief Secretary Punjab Sarvesh Kaushal today held a high level meeting with the senior officers of Animal Husbandry, Rural Development and Panchayats Department, Chief Architect, Taxation and others to chalk out a time bound action plan in this regard. Officers presented various models of the proposed Gaushalas showcasing the layout and other basic amenities.

It was decided by the experts that the ambience of the proposed Gaushalas must be closer to the natural habitat full of greenery and water availability.  A District level Gaushala to be set up over an estimated area ideally ranging upto 25 acres would have the capacity to accommodate around 2000 cows. Panchayat lands have been identified in 17 districts and the task in remaining districts is nearing completion.

Each Gaushala will have a fencing, fodder store and suitable arrangement of water and power. It will have a couple of tubewells and natural ponds. Suitable arrangement will be made for the regular upkeep of these Gaushalas along with daily supply of fodder for the cattle. Apart from the dedicated manpower in each Gaushala, the Veterinary Staff, pharmacist would also be stationed in each Gaushala to cure the ailing animals. Chief Secretary stressed that there should be free flow for the fodder for the cattle into the Gaushalas.

The Chief Secretary asked the officers to prepare the display model of the Gaushala incorporating all essential inputs by April 16 which would be then presented before a review meeting to be chaired by Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Punjab.

It was further informed that District level Cattle welfare societies have already been constituted in every district under the chairmanship of concerned Deputy Commissioner. This committee comprises of ADC Development, Senior Superintendent of Police, District Development and Panchayat Officer, Deputy Director Animal Husbandry, Deputy Director Dairy Development, District Forest officer, concerned SDMs whereas 10 members of social organisations/ NGOs nominated the State Government would be inducted as members in these committees.

While Punjab Government will heavily rely upon charitable institutions and philanthropists, it will also generate additional resources for the noble cause of welfare of cows, especially in their uneconomic and unproductive phase when they are abandoned and stray on the roads endangering their own lives and the lives of human beings by causing traffic mishaps.

Prominent among other who were present in the meeting included Mandeep Singh Sandhu, Financial Commissioner Animal Husbandry, Venu Prasad, Secretary Rural Development, Anurag Verma, Commissioner Excise and Taxation, C Sibin, Director Rural Development, Sapna, Chief Architect Punjab and H S Sandha, Director Animal Husbandry.