Chandigarh: Punjab Gaushala Mahasangh on Monday sought to ban the storage of wheat dry fodder (tudi) while demanding to ensure availability of dry fodder for cattle heads in the state.
Speaking to the media here today, Swami Krishnanand Maharaj, National Chairman-Gausewa Mission, said that Punjab is reeling under a severe crisis of wheat dry fodder. Some mills and factory operators have stocked tudi on a large scale, causing shortage. The situation is worsening day by day and can become a threat to the lives of thousands of cattle heads in the state , he said.
He further stated that the administration and Punjab government would bear the moral responsibility for the deaths of cattle heads due to the non-availability of dry fodder.
Swami further said that though the state government is collecting huge funds through ‘cow cess’, registered gaushalas are not getting any financial assistance. Maintaining the availability of dry fodder for cattle during this summer season is becoming a big challenge, due to which many cow shelters are facing financial and resource crisis, he asserted.
The prices of tudi have gone skyrocket, due to which the financial burden on dairy farmers and cattle rearers has increased significantly, he said.
Swami alleged that many cardboard factories, brick kilns, and coal boilers in Punjab have purchased large quantities of straw directly from farmers. As a result, cow shelters are unable to obtain straw, which they previously had readily available.
“We request the Punjab Government to impose a ban on the purchase of tudi by factories and brick kilns to ensure gaushalas get it for their cattle heads.”
We also demand that the amount of cow cess should be released to the gaushalas, he asserted.
The failure of the Punjab government to meet our demands would leave only the option for us to stage a state wide protest , he said.
We are giving the state government two days’ time to consider our demands, otherwise we will gherao the residences of the Chief Minister, ministers, and MLAs of Punjab. If within two days the state government does not invite for the talk on our demands, then on coming Saturday, gausewaks and gaushala owners along with Shiva Nandis will march to gherao the residences in their respective districts, he maintained.
