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Continuing with the BJP’s agenda to ensure the welfare of “Gomata”, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a special insurance policy for cows.
The pilot insurance scheme by the government will initially cover a few cows and then it will be extended to cows across the State. The government will pay the premium entirely.
Speaking at a cattle exhibition in Jalna on Monday, Fadnavis said the State government was keen to protect cows and the insurance policy scheme would be in place soon.
Budget speech
He was responding to the Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Arjun Khotkar’s request for insurance cover for cows in Maharashtra. The details of the scheme are yet to be worked out.
Recently, the Centre announced the ‘Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog’ for the welfare of cows and boost dairy production. “This government will never shy away from honouring our Mother Cow,” Piyush Goyal, interim Finance Minister, had said in his Budget speech in Parliament.
Taking a leaf out of the Centre’s book, Fadnavis has taken a step to woo the party’s vote bank.
Fadnavis’ announcement comes at a time when 26 out of the 36 districts (72 per cent) in Maharashtra are reeling under water scarcity and crop failure.
Unable to look after unwanted cows, farmers have started setting them loose.
Drought severity
Drought-hit farmers have demanded that the government first make provision for water and employment for them and then look after cow welfare. The severity of the drought is most in Maharashtra with 85.76 lakh hectare area reeling under water scarcity having a direct impact on over 82 lakh farmers in the State.
The Maharashtra government had asked for ₹7,522 crore Central aid and the Centre has approved ₹4,714 crore.
Maharashtra has banned cow slaughter.
The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015, also bans slaughter of bulls, bullocks and calves and makes such slaughter a non-bailable offence, with punishment of five years.
In August last year, the State government came up with the idea of Maharashtra Gau Seva Aayog (Cow Commission) to save cows.
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