A self-confessed cow worshipper, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is caught between his love for the bovine and a recent observation of the Madhya Pradesh high court which has adopted a clear stance over the rise in road accidents caused by the rampant presence of cows on highways in the state. The incidents of cow deaths and bovine related accidents on highways in Orchha and Sagar on Saturday have yet again exposed the Madhya Pradesh BJP governments love for the cows and its reluctance to act against the bovines. Despite the presence of over 2,400 government or government aided cow shelters across Madhya Pradesh, it is surprising that cows are still found roaming on main roads and highways in the state. The situation is no-different even in the State capital. In the last few decades, successive BJP governments have initiated several steps to overcome the problem, including the formation of a board for the protection of cows. Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had even formed a separate cabinet for the protection of cows but the situation continues to remain unchanged. Cow rearers are to be blamed for a part of the problem as they only provide shelter to milching cows and then abandon the bovines once they stop giving milk. They say that keeping cows beyond the milk giving age is not possible for them as the non profitable bovines would chew into their meager profits. In a knee-jerk reaction after the death of cows in an accident in Bhopal in August, the state government had announced a four-member committee for a period of 15 days to control cows and other cattle from straying on to the roads. The panel was headed by the Aditional Chief Secretary of Home department and only the committee can say what happened during those 15 days, as the problem continues to persist. The Madhya Pradesh high court in Jabalpur repeatedly asked authorities and departments of the state government for explanation over their inability to stop the highways from turning into grazing grounds for cattle. Notices have been issued to the state government, PWD Principal Secretary, MPRDC, and NHAI but the high court action is yet to bring a change on the ground. Earlier, during the regime of Congress, then chief minister Kamal Nath had increased the grant given to cow shelter owners to Rs 20 per cow, but in the present BJP government, it has been reduced to Rs 3 per cow. Senior Congress leader Rameshwar Neekhra, while talking to The Pioneer said the present grant is ridiculous. One cows per day feed costs around Rs 100 per day, then what one cow would get in just Rs 3. He applauded the Chhattisgarh scheme-Godhan Nyay Yojana- and described it as excellent. He urged the state government to come up with such a comprehensive plan to save cows from meeting with accidents. Implemented by Bhupesh Baghel government in Chhattisgarh, the Godhan Nyay scheme was the first of its kind in the country, it helped poor cattle rearers augment their incomes by selling cow dung to the government. The state government used cow dung, acquired from the farmers, to make organic vermicompost and subsequently promoted the use of organic farming by selling this manure to farmers in the state. The vermicompost was produced under MNREGA by women organised under Self Help Groups (SHGs). Around three years ago, then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that the cow, as well as its dung and urine, can strengthen the farm economy and add to the countrys financial capabilities but the government has stopped short of backing these pronouncements with credible action. While there is no denying the fact that the government has developed cow sanctuaries and shelters but the situation on the ground requires participation from the society, he had said.

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