The Maharashtra government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has declared that cows will be given ‘Rajya Mata’ (Royal Mother) status. This decision comes just before the upcoming assembly elections in November.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that indigenous cows are beneficial for farmers, which is why the government is offering this new status. They also plan to help with the care of these cows in facilities called Goshalas.
To support this, the government will provide a subsidy of ₹50 per day for each indigenous cow cared for in Goshalas. This initiative aims to strengthen these facilities, which often struggle financially. An online system will be set up to manage this subsidy, and each district will have a committee to verify the Goshalas.
The 2019 animal census revealed that the number of indigenous cows in Maharashtra has decreased significantly, from over 58 lakh to around 46 lakh, a drop of about 20%.
As for the assembly elections, they are expected to take place in November, with the current assembly's term ending on November 26. The elections will likely be a contest between the ruling coalition of Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, the BJP, and Ajit Pawar's NCP, against the opposition alliance called Maha Vikas Aghadi.
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