50 cows die at Deoghar shelter after fund crisis

DUMKA: As many as 50 cows died at the Baidyanath Dham Goshala in Deoghar due to fund crisis at the shelter. The cows were among the 400 seized by police since January this year while being transported to slaughter houses.
The state government had announced allocation of Rs 50 for maintenance of each cow under which proper medication and fodder have to be provided. However, no money has reached to people managing the local cow shelters.
"Condition of most of the cows handed over to us deteriorated fast as they were already ill treated and tortured while being packed and transported in large numbers in trucks and other heavy vehicles," secretary of the Baidhynathdham Goshala, Ramesh Bajla, said.He said many cow died even before they could be administered medication.
Bajla also said the situation got worse after the animal husbandry doctors responded late to their requests. "They claimed that they do not have sufficient medicines with them to help the impounded cattle," he said.
"We had asked for Rs 10.8 lakh from the district animal husbandry department for treatment and feeding of the cattle but only Rs 4.29 lakh was sanctioned and this sum is yet to reach us," Bajla said, adding that the goshala management currently owes Rs 15 lakh to local businessmen from whom they took money to feed the cattle.
Meanwhile, state animal husbandry minister Randhir Kumar Singh claimed that there is no fund crisis for spending on cattle recovered while being transported for slaughtering. "Funds to the impounded cow shelters will be released soon by the state government," Singh assured.