After cows, good days for bulls: Nandi Shala in each district soon
The cows had it and now it is the turn of the stray bulls in Rajasthan to enjoy proper upkeep, regular supply of fodder and a shelter of their own.
Months before Rajasthan goes to polls, state cooperative and gopalan minister Ajay Singh Kilak on Friday confirmed that a Nandi Shala (bull shelter) would be opened in each district. The government will provide 70% of the funds required to set up the shelter while respective Nandi Shala authorities would have to chip in the remaining 30%.
The government will also provide a financial aid of Rs 50 lakh to each of these shelters as was announced by chief minister Vasundhara Raje in her 2018-19 budget speech. “The amount will be used for providing shelter, fodder, water, and a house for the care takers. The Nandi Shalas will provide shelter to abandoned male bovines, thereby helping protect crops of farmers,” Kilak said.
Kilak said every Nandi Shala will have to house a minimum of 500 Nandis (bulls). The institution running the shelter will have to submit a proposal to district collector mentioning minimum facilities required.
He said the district administration will identify the areas where the problem of abandoned male bovines is acute. The collector, keeping in mind availability of land, will select local philanthropists, social workers, religious trusts, industrial institutes and others to set up the Nandi Shala. The collector will then apply for allotment of land for the shelter.
Cow conservation and protection has remained a focus area for the BJP government in state that is eyeing a second consecutive term. The government, sources said, has floated a proposal to impose a ‘cow cess’ on liquor. It is yet to finalise the cess rate and the types of liquor on which it will be imposed.
The government is also considering to double the surcharge on stamp duty for the conservation and protection of cows from the existing 10% to 20%. Raje had in April last year imposed a 10% surcharge on all non-judicial instruments for the conservation and propagation of cows. In one year, the government managed to generate around Rs 235 crore in revenue from the cow surcharge levied on stamp duty.
Rajasthan has 2,562 registered cow shelters and 9.6 lakh bovines for which Rs 490 crore is required as grant for six months.
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