The first such cow sanctuary of the country in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, that was ready more than a year back, is still waiting for cows and a formal inauguration. Ten officials including a deputy director and three veterinary doctors were posted at the sanctuary two years back but there are no cows in it.
“We have a deputy director, three doctors and six assistant veterinary doctors here. It is now for the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the chairman of the cow protection board to decide when will the sanctuary be opened,” Shashi Mohan, a veterinary doctor posted at the sanctuary, told.
A large number of stray cattle die in road accidents every year in the state and a sanctuary was the only solution. Hence, Shivraj Singh Chouhan in 2008 announced setting up of the first cow sanctuary to preserve cows that are not self sustaining. Union minister of state for Home Hansraj Gangaraj Ahir had proposed to the environment ministry to allot 1,000 hectares of forest land in every district of 16 states to set up cow sanctuaries.
Amidst much fanfare, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat did the ‘bhoomi poojan’ of the sanctuary ‘Kamdehenu’ in December 2012. It was ready a year back but cows are yet to take shelter in the sanctuary.
Spread over 1,200 acres of land in Susner of Agar district in Madhya Pradesh, the sanctuary has an office building, staff quarters, laboratories, solar plant, farmers training centre and sheds that can house 6,000 cows.
“I’m here for the past two years but the construction work was going on till recently. There is water issue also in the sanctuary which needs to be looked into,” SV Kosarwal, deputy director of the sanctuary, said.
As a face saving measure, the sanctuary has taken over around 600 cows that belonged to a nearby gaushala. While the sheds in the sanctuary remain locked, cows continue to roam astray on roads leading to it. Many are injured and even killed in accidents every day. Other gaushalas like the Madhav Gaushal in Agar remain overcrowded.
“Stray cattle roam everywhere and many accidents are reported. We don’t have the resources but we are trying our best. We have a capacity of 600 cows but there are 1,200 cows here. I don’t know when the sanctuary will start functioning,” Shanti Lal Jain of the Madhav Gaushala told.
The government, for the record, said that it is because of lack of adequate security arrangements that the cow sanctuary is still not operational. “The sanctuary was ready in 2016 but we could not start it because of lack of security and absence of adequate fodder,” said Swami Akhileshweranand, chairman, Gau Palan and Pashu Samardhan Board.
