Rs34 crore allotted for cow protection centres

Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has provided Rs34 crore for all 34 districts to establish Gowardhan-Gowansh Raksha Kendras, or cow-family protection centres, with the help of local NGOs. The state government had banned cow slaughter as part of its ideological agenda.

Addressing the media on Friday, Mungantiwar said these centres will be run with the help of local activists involved in saving and protecting cows. The BJP had banned cow slaughter and slaughter houses before the elections.

Since it is in line with the party agenda as well as the agenda of the right wing organisations, Mungantiwar has provided for the same.

Mungantiwar has also named a scheme after Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray. The scheme is aimed at encouraging women at the Gram Panchayat level politics. For the campaign, the minister provided Rs3 crore for 34 districts, meaning every district would receive less that Rs3 lakh.

Many were of the opinion that with more than 27,000 Gram Panchayats in the state, the finance minister provided peanuts for the campaign, named Swargiya Balasaheb Thackeray Smruti Matoshree Gram Panchayat Wa Mahila Sakshamikaran Abhiyaan (Late Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial Matoshree Gram Panchayat and Women Empowerment Campaign).