Yogi Adityanath Government Approves Proposal To Set Up Cow Shelters In Jails

The Yogi Adityanath government approved a proposal of the Gau Sewa Ayog on Friday to set up cow shelters in 12 out of 69 jails in the state.

Uttar Pradesh has become the second state after Haryana to accept such a proposal. Last year, the government did not give permission to the Ayog to use the land of the Provincial Armed Constabulary headquarters across the state as cows shelters.

According to Minister of State for Jails Jai Kumar Singh, the move is not targeted at housing stray animals. It is aimed at developing a productive activity for the prisoners to keep them engaged.

“The cows that give milk will be kept there. We plan to use the gaushala also to help develop a model for organic farming in the agricultural land in jails. Cow dung will be used as fertiliser there in the fields to cultivate vegetables,” Singh said in 2017.

In December 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government had approved the setting up of 'Cow Protection Committees' in each district, headed by the district magistrate and senior police officials, to ensure efficient management and operation of cow shelters across the state and make them self-sufficient.

According to the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Gau Sewa Aayog, Rajeev Gupta, these committees would rescue and look after cattle, which may be getting illegally slaughtered or smuggled.

"Whenever illegal cow slaughter and smuggling is prevented, the number of animals in cow shelters increases. So, we want better upkeep of cattle in these shelters and make them self-sustaining by selling their byproducts," Gupta told ANI.