Protect indigenous breeds, make Haryana stray cattle-free: Saini

Ladwa (Kurukshetra): Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said protecting indigenous cow breeds and eliminating stray cattle are key priorities, as he announced measures to strengthen gaushalas and cattle welfare.At a fodder grant event at Shri Krishna Gaushala Society, he, along with his wife Suman Saini, performed gau puja and distributed Rs 70.24 lakh to 11 gaushalas in Ladwa and Thanesar.Saini highlighted incentives of Rs 5,000–20,000 for rearing indigenous breeds such as Haryana, Sahiwal and Belahi under the Centre's Rashtriya Gokul Mission.He said cow sanctuaries have been set up in Nain (Panipat) and Dhandur (Hisar), with Rs 8 crore released. For 2025-26, Rs 10 lakh per gaushala has been provisioned for sheds in 51 gaushalas, with 21 already funded.The CM said Rs 228.58 crore has been released as fodder subsidy to 619 gaushalas this year, taking the total to Rs 526.45 crore over 11 years. A research centre for panchgavya products has also been set up in Panchkula.Saini announced expansion of veterinary infrastructure, including seven new dispensaries and four hospitals. He said registered gaushalas have risen from 215 in 2014 to 697, sheltering over four lakh cattle. Solar plants have been installed in 330 gaushalas, with all to be solar-powered by 2026-27.He added that gaushalas are being given subsidised power at Rs 2 per unit, stamp duty exemption for land, and support for producing eco-friendly products. Incentives of Rs 300 per calf, Rs 600 per cow and Rs 800 per bull are being provided to bring stray cattle off roads.Citing the Haryana Gauvansh Protection and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, Saini said strict penalties are in place for cow slaughter and smuggling, and called for community participation to make gaushalas self-reliant.