Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Construction of Swamlambi Gaushala will be undertaken within two years, after which not even a single stray cattle will be seen on roads, said Animal Husbandry Minister Lakhan Patel in the state assembly on Wednesday. He was replying to a Call Attention Motion moved by Congress MLA Ajay Singh.
Patel said under the Swamlambi Gaushala scheme, tenders have been completed for seven locations, with agreements expected within 10 days. Tenders have even been received from Australia and Dubai.
At modern Gaushalas, stray cattle will be housed, with a minimum of 5,000 cattle per 130 acres. Efforts will be made to ensure that at least half of the seven Gaushalas are completed by June, targeting cattle roaming on national and main highways.
Earlier, Ajay Singh claimed around 10 lakh stray cattle roam the state, causing traffic problems, accidents and damage to crops.
Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar suggested Rs 40 per cow should be given to owners instead of Gaushalas, saying it could solve the problem. Congress MLA Sachin Yadav said BJP is the biggest party, so one cow should be given to every BJP member to provide a chance to serve cows.
Panchayat Minister Prahlad Patel recalled previous attempts to run Gaushalas with private participation, noting that even after efforts, 400 Gaushalas remain empty in the state.
Congress MLA Hemant Katare said that if the House can discuss dogs for 47 minutes, discussions on cows could go on for a full day. Referring to Minister Patel s claim that companies from Dubai and Australia have shown interest, he said that such companies may be motivated by cow meat, and whatever Indians can do for cows, outsiders cannot.
