Chandigarh November 18: While tightening the noose around those involved in cattle smuggling and slaughtering, Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal today directed the officers concerned to constitute an 11 member ‘Special Cow Task Force’ at district levels. The Force will include government and non-government members including officers from Police, Animal Husbandry, Urban Local Bodies Department and five members from Haryana Gau Seva Ayog, Gaurakshak Committees and Gausevaks.

“The main objective of setting up the task force is to collect information about cattle smuggling and slaughtering through ground-level informers and their intelligence network working across the State and further take prompt action following specific inputs received from the informers about such illegal activities", directed the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister gave these directions while presiding over a meeting of Haryana Gau Seva Ayog held with the Ayog’s Chairman, Mr. Sarwan Kumar Garg and officials of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department.

Mr. Manohar Lal said that the government will provide grant to all the Gaushalas and this amount will be provided according to the proportion of productive and non-productive cattle. He said that according to the resolution passed in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Gaushala with less than 33 percent of non-productive cattle will not be provided any grant, Gaushala with 33 to 50 percent non-productive cattle will receive a grant of Rs 100 per year per livestock, Gaushala with 51 to 75 percent non-productive cattle will receive a grant of Rs 200 per year per livestock, Gaushala with 76 to 99 percent of non-productive cattle will receive a grant of Rs. 300 per year per livestock, Gaushala with 100 percent non-productive cattle will receive a grant of Rs 400 per year per livestock.

The Chief Minister said that Rs. 400 per year per livestock will be given to the Gaushalas keeping Nandis and non-productive cattle. He directed the Haryana Gau Sewa Ayog to prepare a detailed budget action plan as per these terms and conditions mentioned above.

Ensuring shelter is being provided to every destitute animal, the Chief Minister directed the officers concerned and the members of Haryana Gau Seva Ayog that every such animal found on the roads across the State should be verified and the exact number of such animals should be kept in the Gaushalas. Besides this, data should also be prepared for the total number of animals including, productive, non-productive and destitute animals which are being presently kept in the Gaushalas across the State said the Chief Minister.

During the meeting, it was decided that the grant being given to the Gaushalas will only be granted on the recommendations of Haryana Gau Seva Ayog. Besides this, the categories of productive and non-productive animals will be redefined along with fixing the electricity charges being charged from the Gaushalas at the rate of Rs. 2 per unit. Decision regarding providing Panchayat land to the new Gaushalas at cheaper rates was also taken in the meeting.

Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr. V. Umashankar, Adviser Mr Yogender Chaudhry , Principal Secretary, Panchayat and Development Department, Mr. Sudhir Rajpal, Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department, Mr. Raja Shekhar Vundru and other officers also attended the meeting.