Adityanath government to hold bovine census, hold animal fairs

Lucknow, Dec 26
The Uttar Pradesh government will get a head count done of cows and other bovines in the state - according to a decision taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The government has allocated a sum of Rs 7.86 crore for the cow census. Along with it, the state government would also get a census of buffaloes, pigs, goats and sheep done.

According to officials, a survey of the number of cows was done in 2012 when the population stood at 205.66 lakh, buffaloes at around 306.25 lakh, 155.86 lakh of sheep and goats and 13.34 lakh pigs.

A head count will now be done to know the exact number of the cattle, an official spokesman said.

It was also decided at the cabinet meeting that the state would be divided into four zones and animal fairs will be organised where they would not only be given free medical treatment but also be insured. The premium for the insurance would be borne by cattle owners, Health Minister and state government's spokesman Siddhartha Nath Singh said.

The state cabinet also ratified a proposal to increase the per month pension given to Divyaangs or the differently abled from Rs 300 to Rs 600.

The cabinet also gave a green signal to the new Garment Policy-2017 for the handloom sector and cleared a proposal to transfer land in Ghaziabad, belonging to the irrigation department, to the revenue department.

The meeting also decided to celebrate the 101st birth anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak on December 30, at which Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be a guest.