Yogi Budget: ₹450cr for gaushalas

` 459 cr to develop Arabi- Farsi Madarsas in state

Lucknow, Feb 7: Presenting its annual Budget on Thursday, the

Yogi Adityanathled Uttar Pradesh government announced that ` 247.60 crore has been allocated for maintenance of cow shelters in rural areas and ` 200 crore in urban areas.

A budgetary provision of ` 56 crore has also been made to set up a new dairy in Mathura, while ` 5 crore has been allocated for various programmes under the Uttar Pradesh Dairy Policy, 2018.

Special cess will be imposed on liquor sales and from the total cess collected, an estimated ` 165 crore will be used for maintenance of destitute cattle in the state.

Lucknow, Feb. 7: The 201920 Uttar Pradesh Budget stressed on development and beautification of religious places, including those in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura and Allahabad.

The Budget was presented in the state assembly by finance minister Rajesh Agarwal.

The Yogi Adityanath government will also spend over ` 600 crore on cattle welfare and the construction and maintenance of gaushalas in the financial year 2019- 20.

The announcement comes amid reports of farmers in several districts locking up stray cattle in schools and public health centres after suffering damage to their crops.

An amount of ` 247.60 crore has been proposed for maintenance and construction of gaushalas in rural

areas, state finance minister Rajesh Agarwal said in his Budget speech.

In addition, Mr Agarwal said, a special cess has been imposed on liquor sales in the state. Of the total cess collected, an estimated ` 165 crore will be used on maintenance of stray cattle. The government was seeking support from the other

departments as well in this regard, he said.

For minority welfare, a provision of ` 942 crore under the Scholarship Scheme for students belonging to minority communities has been made and ` 459 crore proposed for modernisation of ArabiFarsi Madarsas.