Maha cow subsidy higher than in other BJP states

MUMBAI: Earlier this week, the poll-bound Mahayuti govt cleared a subsidy of Rs 50 per cow daily for desi cows housed in registered gaushalas (cow shelters). The scheme will cost the severely cash-strapped state Rs 230 crore per year. Significantly, the payout is higher than the daily subsidy given to cows in cattle shelters in other BJP-governed states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where it ranges between Rs 20 and Rs 40.

The cabinet cleared the subsidy even though it has two other schemes providing financial support to cattle shelters. In doing so, it overruled the state finance dept, which opposed additional subsidy and pointed out the duplication.

TOI has learnt that the animal husbandry department had proposed to the cabinet that a subsidy of Rs 30 a day per cow be allocated to registered gaushalas in the state in order to support desi cows, whose numbers were depleting. It also had said that gaushalas covered under the other two schemes should be excluded from the subsidy.

However, after considering the proposal, cabinet ended up clearing a subsidy of Rs 50 per cow per day, which is 66% higher than the figure proposed. This raised the annual outlay estimated from Rs 135 crore to Rs 230 crore per year. This change was made on the suggestion of animal husbandry minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil , sources said.

The state has 828 registered gaushalas and an estimated 1,23,389 cattle. In its proposal seeking the subsidy, the animal husbandry department had stated that the number of desi cows in the state had reduced from 50.5 lakh in 2012 to 46 lakh in 2019. The number of desi cattle had reduced by 20.6% from 1.2 lakh in 2012 to 93,84,574. This is between the 19th and 20th livestock surveys. It said that it cost an average of Rs 80 per day to take care of one cow and cattle shelters needed financial assistance.

In their response to the proposal, the planning and finance departments pointed out that there were already several other schemes in the state which provided financial support to gaushalas for the care of destitute cows. The finance department said duplication of schemes should be avoided, while the planning department stated that non-merit subsidies or freebies should be avoided.

The state finance department objected to the subsidy, pointing to the financial burden of pre-election sops introduced in the Mahayuti govt's last budget in July.