State seeks RSS help for gaushalas

Mumbai: In a first, the Maharashtra government is going to seek help from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to make products from cow urine and dung in order to make cow shelters sustainable. The government is designing a policy that will promote products like incense sticks, soaps and floor cleaners. The members of the Opposition have however, ridiculed the idea, dismissing it as a waste of government funds.

“We are designing a policy to make various products from cow urine and dung. The RSS camp at Uttan, suburban Bhayander, and at few other places are already making products like incense sticks, soap and floor cleaner. The government will learn the technique and implement it for the cow shelters to make them sustainable. The government is going to give grant of `1 crore to one cow shelter in each district once. But after that they will have to manage for themselves,” dairy development and animal husbandry minister Mahadev Jankar told The Asian Age. He was referring to a government scheme for which the government has sanctioned `35 crore every year.

The animal husbandry department is also conducting a workshop on September 17 at Amravati in this regard, where the minister will be the chief guest. “We are inviting people from gau shalas and activists to speak on the issue at Amravati. We want a discussion to be held about the products and other aspects of gau shalas,” Mr Jankar added.

The state government has already asked the Government College of Engineering, Pune, to chalk up a plan to make the cow shelters viable, as it is likely that most of the cows would be too old for milk production. The final report from the college is expected soon.  

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said that the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments have already tried this, but in vein. “It is a waste of government funds to initiate something like this. Other states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already tried this and failed miserably,” Mr Malik added.