Jaipur, Sep 6 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said that cows hold immense importance in Indian culture and have always been the foundation of prosperity. He recalled the tradition of offering the first roti to cows, worshipping bulls before sowing, and performing marriage rituals during twilight.
“Where cows are revered, there is prosperity and culture,” he said, adding that events like Gau Mahakumbh inspire protection of cows and empowerment of cowherds and farmers.
He urged people to visit Gaushalas on occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, and take a pledge to serve cows.
The Chief Minister was addressing the Gau Mahakumbh – a global summit on cows, organised by Shri Devraha Baba Gau Seva Parivar at Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium, Jaipur, on Saturday.
He said the state government has taken unprecedented steps for the welfare of cows, cowherds, and farmers.
A grant of Rs 2,791 crore has been provided under cow protection and promotion schemes. Every registered Gaushala is given assistance of Rs 50 per cow per day and Rs 25 for small calves.
So far, 341 Gaushalas have received infrastructure facilities, and 100 Gaushalas have been provided Gau Kashth machines at concessional rates.
Under the Nandishala Sahyogita Yojana, over Rs 62 crore has been allocated for Panchayat-level infrastructure.
Sharma said the government’s vision is to make Rajasthan not just an agricultural state but also India’s largest dairy hub.
To support milk producers, a subsidy of Rs 5 per litre has been introduced, while an average price of Rs 864 per kg fat has been ensured.
A provision of Rs 500 crore has been made under the Chief Minister Milk Producer Incentive Scheme, with Rs 468 crore already transferred through DBT.
The CM highlighted that farmers and animal keepers are the providers of food and nutrition.
To empower them, the government has increased the ‘Kisan Samman Nidhi’ from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000, extended loan facilities through the Gopal Credit Card and provided Rs 3 lakh insurance cover to over 33,000 milk producers. He called upon people to contribute to cow service so that no cow remains hungry and no Gaushala faces resource shortages.
During the event, the Chief Minister also visited the cow-based exhibition, reviewed cow products, and inspected indigenous breeds of cows and bulls.
He observed the model of Gokul Gram developed in Bichoon, Jaipur. On this occasion, veteran leader Ramadevi Chopra, Gau Mahakumbh Chairman Dr. Lal Singh along with several representatives of cow promotion organisations, cowherds, and common citizens, were present.
–IANS
arc/pgh