Hyderabad: Stating that thousands of cattle were perishing in the State due to acute scarcity of water and fodder, Telangana Goshala Federation president Mahesh Agarwal on Wednesday demanded that the State government start rescue shelter homes for animals at mandal level. He also urged the government to provide 100 acre forest land for each goshala on temporary basis for grazing purpose.
Speaking to mediapersons here today, Mahesh Agarwal urged the State government to provide free fodder to all goshalas and farmers, as they were finding it very difficult to procure costly fodder, safe water and lack of proper veterinary services in the State. Stating that as the farmers were suffering a lot to keep the animals with them for want of fodder and water, Agarwal said the farmers were constrained to sell the cattle in the market at throwaway prices to the buyers belonging to slaughter houses.
Stating that some 36,000 cows were languishing in 216 Goshalas across the State, he alleged that veterinary doctors attached to the goshalas were not attending to their duties due to criminal negligence. The Telangana Goshala Federation president demanded that the erring vets be suspended immediately. He also urged the government to ensure immediate supply of medicines to all goshalas and appoint a special team of veterinary doctors to provide immediate medical aid to the animals.
Agarwal said while the Andhra Pradesh government has released Rs 26 crore for welfare of cattle, the Telangana government failed to release any amount, medicines and fodder for the cattle. The Animal Husbandry department was neither supporting nor supplying a KG of fodder to any goshala and the local gram panchayats were also not willing to supply water to the cattle in goshalas.
He said that according to official data, Telangana State has 26 lakh milch animals. Each animal requires 30 kg of green fodder every day, but the farmers as well as goshala managements were are not in a position to provide even 10 kg fodder due to acute shortage.
Bairi Satish, secretary, TGF, Acharya Sri Kamlesh Maharaj, Panchakulam Gou Federation; Ajay Raj Sharma of Imliban Goshala; L. Muralidhar Rao, Kamadhenu Govardhangiri Govignan Sandhan Kendram and others were present. (NSS)