After cycle and shoes it is the holy cow. In an apparent bid to counter a growing saffron influence in the rural areas of Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee Government has decided to distribute cows among the rural people ahead of the coming panchayat elections.
Encouraged by the rich political dividend from the “Kanyashree” and “Sabuj Saathi” projects where the Government distributed Rs 25,000 to girl students — upon crossing 18 years — and free-cycle to school students apart from giving free-shoes to poor school goers, the Trinamool Congress Government has zeroed in on the cow to lug much of its electoral load in the rural polls.
“The Government will distribute cows among the families living in the panchayat areas so that they become self-reliant,” State Animal Resources Development Minister Swapan Debnath said adding the move could also go a distance in ensuring better health for the children in the rural areas.
The Government will begin with a stock of 1,000 cows which would be distributed in various families in Birbhum district where the ruling party is facing considerable challenge from the saffron brigade.
“The project will not only help people to become self-reliant but also enhance milk-production in the State,” Debnath said adding making rural Bengal “wealthy and healthy” was one of the many dreams envisage by the Chief Minister who was currently in london to draw investment. “This is the reason why we have decided to distribute female calves among the poor people.”
The decision to distribute cows was announced within hours of the Chief Minister clinching a deal in london where the Government extracted Rs 5,000 crore investment assurance from the Mitsubishi Chemicals. The investment would come at the port city of Haldia fetching more than 50,000 jobs, State Finance Minister Amit Mitra who was also travelling with the Chief Minister said.
The distribution of cows would soon begin and the process would be completed in a matter of a few months Debnath said adding the further expansion of the project would depend upon the success of pilot project in Birbhum district.
Milk production in the State had already gone up by about 16 percent in the past a few years he said adding whatever shortfall was there would be covered in a few years of time.