Uttar Pradesh’s 2022–23 budget allotted a pension of $1,000 per month to the impoverished and elderly over 60 (there were 5.49 million beneficiaries of this pension in 2022-23), which show to be a far better explanation of stray cattle problem than personal stories. Their recipients received a total payout of 6,069 crore.
According to a government news release dated September 9, chief minister Yogi Adityanath approved a rise in the daily cost of feeding cattle from the current $30 to $50 per animal, or $1,500 per month.
Nearly 1.37 million stray cattle are being housed in 6,889 Cow Protection Centres and other locations in the state, according to representatives of the Animal Husbandry Department of the state. 1.19 million of them are housed in cow protection facilities, while another 185,000 are being looked for by private citizens as part of the Mukhya Mantri Sahabhagita Yojana.
“The minimum food cost per cattle per day was working out to be ₹62 and district magistrates at their level were arranging the cost over and above ₹30 from different sources, including funds available to local bodies under various heads,” averred JP Pandey, additional director (godhan), further explaining the intensity, “Besides, fodder is collected from willing individuals, NGOs etc by way of donation.”
Additionally, the state is spending money on 250 new huge cow protection centres, each of which can house 5,000–10,000 animals.
According to Rajnish Dubey, additional chief secretary for animal husbandry, carers will now receive a monthly salary of 7,000 in eastern Uttar Pradesh and 7,500 in western Uttar Pradesh instead of the current rate of 210 per day under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
While the state government’s effort to safeguarding stray cattle is commendable, concerns are frequently expressed about how the money is being used.
“Despite huge financial investments and government’s dedicated efforts spanning the past five years, the issue of stray cattle continues to plague the state,” stated an official working at the animal husbandry department.
“More than two lakh (200,000) stray cattle are still believed to be roaming free with complaints about their destroying farmers’ crops, disrupting traffic on roads and even attacking people, sometime to death, are being received from in many districts,” he further added.
