Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday called for the use of cow dung-based “natural paint” on government buildings and greater use of technology and innovation to strengthen the dairy sector.
Chairing a review meeting of the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Department, Adityanath directed that concrete steps should be taken to make cow protection centres self-reliant in the state.
He proposed organising divisional-level competitions for indigenous cow breeds and recognising exemplary ‘gau ashray sthals’. He also suggested holding competitions for organisations producing cow-based products to encourage “innovation and excellence” in the sector.
The Chief Minister was informed that 40,968.29 hectares of pastures were cleared of encroachments, with 12,168.78 hectares dedicated to green fodder production.
This initiative is also generating rural employment, with women self-help groups actively involved and a total of 21,884 “gausevaks” have been trained and deployed for the purpose, the CM was apprised.
In Bareilly, the establishment of organic manure and cow urine processing plants, in collaboration with IFFCO, Awanla, is progressing at large cow conservation centres, officials said.
The Chief Minister was further informed that 11.49 lakh cows are currently sheltered in 7,693 gau ashray sthals across the state, monitored through CCTV cameras and regular inspections. He instructed the officials to ensure the deployment of caretakers and timely payment to them and establishment of husk banks, and adequate supply of water, green fodder and bran.
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