Patna: The state government in Jharkhand has planned to set up hostels for cows rescued from smugglers and stray cows.
Jharkhand, an eastern Indian state, is currently under Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) rule and has seen many incidents of cow vigilantism in recent months.
Each hostel for the hoofed guests will have drinking water facilities and fields for grazing, so they won’t face the hunger that is said to be the most common problem with most private cowsheds.
As per the report, the government has proposed to set up at least 24 such hostels. The first hostel will be constructed in Lohardaga district.
“We have around 20 acres of land in Lohardaga and will be setting up the hostel on 10 acres to house 200 cows,” state animal board member Chitranjan Kumar told the media.
Authorities said they have planned to make these cow hostels self-sustaining by using cow dung and urine for commercial purposes.
“The sale of cow dung and urine will generate income which will be later used for the proper upkeep of the bovine,” the official said.
As per report, an average of 500 cows are rescued from smugglers every month, but in the absence of government shelters they are normally handed out to the 27 private-run cowsheds. The problem with these cowsheds are that they are filled to the brim, with animals packed together.
More than 20,000 cattle have been kept in 27 cowsheds, which means around 750 cattle are taking shelter in each one.
In October last year, authorities rescued 250 cows in the Giridih district and arrested 12 smugglers. In August, authorities rescued dozens of camels in the same district, while in July, 16 cows were rescued from a slaughterhouse in Pakur district. The police also arrested seven people in connection to the case.
Jharkhand has banned cow slaughter and the sale of beef since 2015.