Confirming the development, a senior state official said that each of these centres will cost Rs15 crore and house about 1,000 animals. They will come up at Aarey milk colony in Mumbai, Tathawade in Pune and Amravati
The implementation of ban on bull slaughter in Maharashtra has moved to its next leg, with the Centre granting approval to three shelters to house unproductive animals. These shelters – called Gokul Grams – will be established under the Union government's Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
Confirming the development, a senior state official said that each of these centres will cost Rs15 crore and house about 1,000 animals. They will come up at Aarey milk colony in Mumbai, Tathawade in Pune and Amravati
"Three of these proposals have been approved and we are awaiting the funds," the official said, adding that the centres would house both productive (milch) and non-productive cattle.
Farmers can send their unproductive and non-milching cattle to these shelters. "We will also aim at genetic improvement of local breeds," the official said. The dung will be used to manufacture fertiliser or fuel. The state will bear recurring costs like salaries and fodder.
While the killing of cows and calves was already banned under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 1995, approved during the tenure of the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government, had sought to extend it to bulls and bullocks. This ban on beef had led to protests from meat and leather industry.
President Pranab Mukherjee recently granted his assent to the bill which had been pending since 1996. Offenders risk Rs10,000 as fines and five years in jail. However, the slaughter of buffaloes is allowed.
According to the 2007 cattle census, the number of cows and bullocks is 1,61,83,527, as compared to 1,53,27,575 in 1961. The number of buffaloes, which are prized for the higher production of milk, has however shown a marked rise from 30,87,014 in 1961 to 60,72,617 in 2007.
India with about 199 million cattle (as per 18th Livestock Census 2007) has 14.5% of the world cattle population, of which 83% or 166 million are indigenous breeds.
In 2013-14, the total number of bulls and bullocks which were slaughtered in Maharashtra was 3,16,757, compared to 4,91,338 buffaloes. The culling of goats and sheep was 8,21,978 in the same period.
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