The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday cleared a policy clearing the way for implementing a cow welfare cess or “Gau Kalyan cess” in the state.
According to the reports, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet in a meeting today decided to impose a “Gau Kalyan Cess” to be levied on excise items and alcohol. The cess will be an additional levy to provide additional funds for the construction and maintenance of cow shelters across the state.
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Besides this, a 0.5% cess will also be levied on public sector enterprises’ profits, construction agencies like UP State Construction and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, UP State Bridge Corporation Ltd, UPSIDC, and toll tax gathered by government agencies, for the purpose.
The state of Uttar Pradesh is also facing the problems of increasing stray cattle, as farmers in the last week had locked up stray cattle in police stations and schools in order to protest against the menace. The state government also started severe crackdown down illegal on slaughterhouses.
Reportedly, the government has also decided to increase the mandi cess from 1 per cent to 2 per cent to support the cow protection and welfare scheme. The 0.5% excise may impact the price of alcohol in the state but the department will hold a meeting to decide the items on which the cess will be levied. This will help state government earn additional Rs 34 crore as cow welfare cess.
Shrikant Sharma, the spokesperson of UP government, said that the government departments would contribute to the construction of shelters to accommodate at least 1000 stray cattle in each district. He further added that people leaving their livestock to be stray at public places and roads will be penalised and a penalty would be imposed on such elements.
The state animal husbandry department has given the responsibility of supervising the construction of cow shelters and will be funded by the MGNREGA and MP, MLA funds.