Taking hard lessons from Uttar Pradesh, where stray cattle menace has become an election issue, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur reiterated BJP government’s agenda to free Himachal?from stray cattle menace while presenting?the state’s budget for year 2022-23 on Friday.

He announced fresh steps not only?to protect cows and set-up more 'Gausadans' and cow sanctuaries but also declared resolve to enact new law to provide?stricter punishment for those who abandon their cows .

Himachal Pradesh goes to the polls by the end of the year and it is believed that the government will definitely face questions on dealing with stray cattle menace, especially the cows .

While presenting a?Rs 52,365 crore?tax free budget, CM Jai Ram Thakur claimed that during the four-year tenure of his goverment, the number of cows and all other bovines picked-up from roads in the gausadans/gaushalas and cow sanctuaries have increased to 20,000, which was barely 6000 back in 2017.

“ I announce setting-up five new big cow sanctuaries and gausadans in 2022-23 to accommodate left over stray cattle abandoned by the people after they?became unproductive” he announced.

Chief Minister said it had come to the government's notice?that cows abandoned by the people died due to extreme cold conditions and snowfall in the hills and this was a compelling reason for the government to either make amendment in the existing laws or alternatively enact a new law to deal with persons committing a serious crime of letting the animals die on the roads .

The government’s resolve towards protection of the cows and providing them shelter and feed , said Chief Minister was a commitment towards gauvansh .Thus, the grant for gaushalas being run in the private sector will be raised to Rs 700 per cow per month .Currently , the government is providing Rs 500 per month per cow .

He invited the social organisations and non government bodies to volunteer themselves to help the government in providing safe shelters to the “ holy cows” .

Currently gaushalas /gausadans and cow sanctuaries have been set-up in 11 districts while five more gausadans and cow sanctuaries are underway in the?districts of Kangra, Chamba, Mandi and Una.

Together with this, the Chief Minister also announced that Rs 2 per bottle 'gau'-cess would be collected from the excise department on sale of liquor which would be utilized for maintenance and setting-up of gausadans in the state

Minister for animal husbandry Virender Kanwar said some congress MLAs, who are also involved in maintaining gausadans are also willing to take benefit of the new initiative of the state and ensure that not a single stray cow is seen on the roads in Himachal Pradesh .

In the budget, the Chief Minister also announced setting-up of two milk processing plants each of 50,000 little capacity to give a boost to cow rearing .He also increased the milk rates by Rs 2 per litre to help rural families engaged in the cow rearing.

In a new populist initiative in the budget, the Chief Minister reduced the age from 70 year to 60 year to grant social security pension to all senior citizens adding nearly 40,000 additional beneficiaries in the election year. There will be no income criterion for this. The monthly pension has also been raised to Rs 1000 against existing Rs 850 pm. For those with 70 percent disabilities the rate will be 1700 pm.

On Friday's budget session, CM Jai Ram Thakur also announced opening-up of Lata Mangeshkar Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, a quantum leap in the daily wages, remunerations of ?ASHA Workers, aganwadi workers, sailai teachers, mid-day meal workers, water carriers and several other categories of outsource employees .

The Chief Minister also announced plans to provide jobs to 30,000 youths, both in the government and private sectors .

The opposition has described the budget to be filled with 'hollow" promises and gimmicks.?

?" We will come-out with all facts on failures of the government including those on providing jobs, welfare measures and also dealing with stray cattle menace" said Mukesh Agnihotri, leader of opposition.?