Union Minister Vijay Sampla on Saturday said the Punjab Government has accumulated around Rs50 crore from cow cess but still Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) has stopped free electricity supply to gaushalas (cow shelters) which was initiated by the previous Akali-BJP government.
Addressing a news conference here, Sampla said instead the PSPCl is sending electricity bills from 2017 till date to the gaushalas. "This is condemnable, anti-cow and Capt. Amarinder Singh should immediately stop it, said the BJP leader. He was accompanied by former BJP national secretary Harjit Singh Grewal and former state party secretary Vineet Joshi.
Sampla asked power minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar as to why Powercom is continuing sending bills worth Rs. 5.32 crore to the 472 gaushalas registered in the state despite it earning around Rs. 8 crore by imposing cow cess on electricity bills. The bills should have been waived off according to the state policy, said Sampla.
The minister reminded Capt. Amarinder Singh that the money collected as cow cess can only be spent on cows. Besides, he said, the state government is collecting cow cess on purchase of new vehicles, bikes, booking halls in marriage palaces, cement bags, IMFl etc.
Sampla said that the state government is unable to comprehend that how big a responsibility the gaushalas are shouldering by taking care of around 3.84 lakh cows. If these cows come on to the roads not only will the problem of traffic arise but it will lead to accidents. Moreover they might even destroy the standing crops, said Sampla, adding that it will even hurt religious sentiments.