Cows get billions in Indian state's budget

Funds to be spent on shelters and maintenance

The provincial government of India's Uttar Pradesh’s has proposed spending over INR6.47 billion on cow-shelters in the next fiscal year, Hindustan Times reported.

A third of the amount is slated to maintain shelters in rural areas, another third for upkeep in urban areas under the "Kanha Gaushala and Beshara Pashu Ashram" scheme.

Uttar Pradesh, ruled by the hard-line BJP, installed Yogi Adityanath as chief minister. Adityanath was previously a leader of a Hindu extremist outfit and was involved in the demolition of Babri mosque, the attack on the mosque was masterminded by his then mentor.



In January of this year, Yogi Adityanath's government issued a special order allowing corporate entities to use corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to provide facilities for abandoned cows in rural areas.

Earlier, the UP government announced the imposition of a cow welfare Cess and a special fee on beer and liquor to fund construction of cow shelters in the state.

This article originally appeared on Hindustan Times.