Goa’s stray cattle menace continues despite Rs 7.35 cr grant to gaushalas

NT NETWORK

Panaji

Even though the state government has spent Rs 7.35 crore in the last over four years as grant-in-aid to gaushalas and animal welfare organisations for impounding the stray cattle and sheltering them, the menace continues in Goa.

Gaushalas and the animal welfare organisations have managed to impound 2,093 animals since 2017, which translates into an expenditure of at least Rs 35,000 on each animal.

The data also shows that 184 stray animals, impounded from the streets, died at cattle shelters during the same period. It shows that 29 bovines died in 2017-18, 38 in 2018-19, 79 in 2019-20 and 38 in 2020-21. As per the data, the deaths occurred largely due to rumen impaction from the accumulation of plastics.

It is usually seen that many people in Goa abandon their cattle when the animals become unproductive, and nobody comes forward to claim ownership once such animals are impounded.

With a view to curb the stray cattle menace on state roads, the Goa Stray Cattle Management Scheme, 2013 (modified), was announced by the government so as to facilitate the local bodies (municipalities/panchayats), non-government organisations, gaushalas and civic and consumer forums (CCFs) to impound the stray

animals and manage them.

However, data available with the animal husbandry department shows that only 13 village panchayats and three municipal councils have inked agreements with the animal welfare organisations and gaushalas to impound stray cattle in their jurisdictions.

In 2017-18, a grant-in-aid of Rs 65.42 lakh was sanctioned to these originations and Rs 1.13 crore was provided in 2018-19. The fund was increased to Rs 1.85 crore in 2019-20 and it was almost doubled to Rs 3.70 crore in 2020-21.

Akhil Vishwa Jaisriram Gosamvardhan Kendra, which has tied up with Valpoi municipal council impounded 150 animals and received a total grant of Rs 93.67 lakh, while Dhyan Foundation received a grant of Rs 1.70 crore for impounding 548 stray animals from the village panchayat of Naqueri-Betul. Dhyan Foundation received Rs 42.94 lakh for impounding and sheltering 115 animals from the jurisdiction of Quepem municipal council.

Another animal welfare organisation, LIV SYNERGY, from Mapusa received a grant of Rs 12.83 lakh for impounding 100 stray animals from the jurisdiction of Verem-Vaghurme village panchayat. The organisation Welfare for Animals in Goa received Rs 9.48 lakh for impounding 50 animals from the Oxel village panchayat jurisdiction.

Maximum number of 1,887 stray animals was impounded by Gomantak Gausevak Mahasangh of Mayem, which tied up with the Calangute, Arpora Nagoa, Pilerne Marra, Salem, Penha de Franca, Aldona and Shirgao panchayats and three municipal councils of Mapusa, Sankhali and Bicholim. The organisation received a grant of Rs 2.42 crore.

As per the pattern of the monetary assistance provided under the modified stray cattle management scheme, an appointed agency gets 90 per cent grant to buy a vehicle with a hydraulic lift costing Rs 18 lakh, Rs 10,000 for driver’s salary, Rs 5,000 per square metre for construction of sheds, subject to no-objection certificate (NOC) from authorities, Rs 75 per day for feeding the cattle, a salary of Rs 30,000 per month for a veterinary surgeon, salary of Rs 6,000 per month each to six attendants, Rs 2,000 as rumenotomy cost per animal besides Rs 5 per animal for survey of stray cattle, Rs 2,000 for burial of a dead animal and Rs 200 per animal for microchip or notching.

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