Three taluk level gaushalas to come up in Dakshina Kannada

The government has released Rs 50 lakh each for taluk-level gaushala, the deputy director of Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences said

The government, on Monday, sanctioned three more gaushalas to be set up in Dakshina Kannada district in addition to the district-level gaushala at Ramakunja in Kadaba taluk, Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Deputy Director Dr Arun Kumar Shetty said.

During the phone-in programme organised by Prajavani, the sister publication of Deccan Herald, Dr Arun said gaushalas will come up at Ubaradka (23 acres) in Sullia, Beluvai (13 acres) in Moodbidri, and in Belthangady (10 acres). The action plan for the taluk-level gaushala is being prepared and there are plans to accommodate 200 cattle at the taluk gaushala. The government has released Rs 50 lakh for each taluk-level gaushala, he added.

The work on the district-level gaushala at Ramakunja to accommodate 200 cattle is in progress. The gaushala is likely to become operational by the end of December. The district-level gaushala facilities will be extended to accommodate more cattle. Orphaned cattle, aged, unproductive cattle, and stray cattle that are creating public nuisance will be accommodated at the gaushala. The department has begun receiving queries from the public, he informed.

There are 18 private gaushalas in the district. Ten are being run with assistance from the government under ‘Support to Pinjarapol’ and other gaushala schemes. Under the 'Atmanirbhar Gaushala' programme, assistance of Rs 45,000 was given for the construction of a vermicompost unit.

Ten gaushalas have been given assistance for the purchase of grass-cutting machines and 10 gaushalas have also received cow-lifting apparatus in the district.

Further, 10 gaushalas have received medicine kits worth Rs 20,000.

Sterilising stray dogs

Dr Arun said that as per the animal welfare board's directions, stray dogs have to be sterilised as part of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats have to mandatorily earmark funds for the programme. It is the local bodies which entrust the work of sterilising the dogs to an agency, and the department will arrange basic facilities including a building for sterilising dogs and provide post-operative care for two days.

After two days of post-operative care, dogs will have to be dropped back to the spot from where they were caught for sterilisation, he said.

The agency is paid over Rs 1,700 per dog for sterilisation and post-operative care. “All gram panchayats will be asked to set aside funds for implementing animal birth control programmes," he said.