Yogi readies to face the bull head-on

The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Yogi Adityanath, has decided to address the issue of stray cattle in the state before the Lok Sabha elections. Nodal officers have been sent to districts to understand the reasons behind the problem. The chief secretary has instructed officials to ensure that stray cattle are not seen in public places. District magistrates will monitor this on a daily basis. Proposals for the construction of large cow protection centres are also being considered. The feedback from nodal officers is currently being examined to determine the next steps. Some districts have reported success in capturing and protecting stray cattle. The government plans to build 300 cow protection centres to house abandoned cattle. Currently, there are over 12 lakh cattle in makeshift centres, provided with proper arrangements by the government. More stray cattle have been captured than identified in the last livestock census.