After chewing cud, govt mulls new pastures

Finally, the state government seems to have awoken to fact of rapidly vanishing pasture lands in the state. Not a day too soon, since this is also due to its policy of giving away such lands to industries. Diminishing pasture land is creating many problems for the poor people whose cattle thrive on these grasslands.

Sources in the government say that the government has decided to develop alternate pasture land in villages where such lands have been given to the industry or for any other purposes. At present the state government takes 30% more money from the industries in lieu of the pasture land it has been allotted and gives the additional money to the local panchayat. However, the panchayats mostly use this money in other development purposes than on alternate pastures. Therefore, the government may make it compulsory for the panchayat to develop alternate pasture land with the money, sources said.

Sources further said that the government is also likely to sanction around Rs64 crore for the development of such pasture land in the upcoming budget. The state cabinet is also likely to clear the proposal in this week.

Against the required 39.56 lakh hectares of grazing land for cattle, the state has only an estimated 8.5 lakh hectares. A revenue department notification makes it mandatory for the state to have 16 hectares (40 acres) of pasture land for 100 animals in normal areas. In case of forest areas this should be eight hectares (20 acres).