Uttar Pradesh Budget: Rs 612.6 crore for stray cattle, gaushalas
Lucknow, Feb 7 : The Adityanath government will spend over Rs 600 crore on cattle welfare and the construction and maintenance of gaushalas in the financial year 2019-20.
The announcement comes amid reports of farmers in several districts locking up stray cattle in schools and public health centres after suffering damage to their crops.
An amount of Rs 247.60 crore has been proposed for maintenance and construction of gaushalas in rural areas, state Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal said in his budget speech.
For 'Kanha Gaushala' and cattle shelter scheme in urban areas, Rs 200 crore has been earmarked, he said.
In addition, Agarwal said, a special cess has been imposed on liquor sales in the state. Of the total cess collected, an estimated Rs 165 crore will be used on maintenance of stray cattle.
The government was seeking support from the other departments as well in this regard, he said. A provision of Rs 64 crore has been made to set up 10,000 units under the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Small Dairy Scheme.
An amount of Rs 56 crore has been set aside for establishment of a new dairy in Mathura. Rs 5 crore has been allotted for various programmes under the Uttar Pradesh Dairy Policy, 2018.
A proposal of Rs 93 crore is there for strengthening, restructuring and expansion of milk unions and societies, training, technical inputs, cattle breeding and health schemes.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
