UP Budget: ₹612.6 cr for stray cattle, gaushalas

The Yogi Adityanath government will 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.

For 'Kanha Gaushala' and cattle shelter scheme in urban areas, ₹200 crore has been earmarked, he said.

In addition, 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.

A provision of ₹64 crore has been made to set up 10,000 units under the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Small Dairy Scheme.

An amount of ₹56 crore has been set aside for establishment of a new dairy in Mathura. ₹5 crore has been allotted for various programmes under the Uttar Pradesh Dairy Policy, 2018.

A proposal of ₹93 crore is there for strengthening, restructuring and expansion of milk unions and societies, training, technical inputs, cattle breeding and health schemes.