Telangana CM Initiates Policy for Comprehensive Cow Protection

Hyderabad, June 18 (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has instructed officials to develop a detailed policy aimed at safeguarding cows within the state. For this purpose, he has established a three-member committee that includes Special Chief Secretary (Animal Husbandry) Sabyasachi Ghosh, Principal Secretary (Endowments) Shailaja Ramaiyar, and Agriculture Secretary Raghunandan Rao.

This committee will conduct a thorough examination of establishing 'Goshalas' (cow shelters) and will also explore cow protection policies in other states. The directive came after a meeting with Animal Husbandry Minister Vakiti Srihari and other officials, where the Chief Minister stressed that the new policies should prioritize cow protection due to their cultural significance and religious sentiments, according to an official release.

The CM expressed concern regarding the recent incidents where cows, generously donated by devotees to cow shelters, have died due to overcrowding and other issues. To address this, he has ordered the construction of state-of-the-art cow shelters in four locations across the state.

These shelters will be set up in the revered Shiva temple at Vemulawada (a site where devotees offer calves during the ‘Kode Mokku’ ritual), the temple town of Yadagirigutta, Yenkepally near Hyderabad, and the Animal Husbandry University as part of the initial phase, mentioned the release. The Chief Minister highlighted the need to give special attention to the protection of calves presented with utmost devotion and directed that a spacious cow shelter be built on 100 acres in Vemulawada.

CM Revanth Reddy assured that the state government is prepared to spend generously on cow protection. During the meeting, officials presented an approach paper on cow shelter management to the Chief Minister, the release stated.