New Delhi: For more than a year, the chairperson’s post in the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog—a government commission set up for the welfare of cows—has been lying vacant, and the commission itself is “almost inactive”.
In a sign that the panel is no longer a priority for the Modi government, which set it up, a source familiar with the matter said the government is not keen on appointing a new chairman.
“For more than a year, no one is heading the commission. Due to this it has become inactive and all its plans are gathering dust now. “Cow welfare is something big on the agenda of the RSS, but the commission is no longer a priority of the government.”
In February 2019, central cabinet Approved the proposal for setting up of a commission for “Protection, Protection and Development of Cows and their progeny”.
coming within the range of Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry, It was entrusted with the task of providing guidelines for the implementation of schemes related to cattle.
Former MP Vallabhbhai Kathiria was appointed the first chairman of the commission. Two non-official members were appointed for two-year terms. The term of the chairman ended in February 2021.
A senior government official said, “The chairman’s term ended in February 2021 last year. The important thing is that the commission had to play an advisory role and not execute it.” “The Rashtriya Gokul Mission (Scheme) and the Animal Welfare Board of India (an autonomous body) are already there, so the commission was attached to them.”
ThePrint contacted the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, under which the Kamdhenu Aayog was set up, over WhatsApp messages and emails, but did not receive a response till the time of publishing this report.
A senior ministry official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We are in the process of reconstituting the commission. It will take some time as we are making some changes in it.”
dispute
According to the first source cited above, the government “felt that the commission often caused unnecessary embarrassment”, and Chairman Kathiria “exceeded its brief on several occasions”.
In January 2021, Kathiria announced A national ‘Kamdhenu Gau Vigyan Prachar Prasar Pariksha’, which received much criticism and the animal husbandry department said that the commission had “no mandate” to conduct it, was canceled after it.
For the examination, the official website of the commission released 54 pages of “reference material” on topics such as “superiority” of Indian cows over foreign breeds, including showing “feelings”, benefits of cow dung, etc. The Commission’s website is now non-functional.
“First, the Commission announced its ‘Indigenous Cow Science’ examination and, after widespread criticism about the promotion of unfounded claims, was forced to cancel it by the Department of Animal Husbandry, which also stated that the Commission’s There was ‘no mandate’ to conduct the pass exams. These issues affect India’s image at the international level,” said a senior official.
Kathiria also made many controversial statements during his tenure. in one, he said: “Cow is full of science… Talking about 5 trillion dollar economy, we have 19.42 crores bovine (cattle) in our country, which can play an important role in this. Even if the cow does not give milk, its urine and dung are priceless. If we use them then not only the cows will be saved but the whole economy will come back on track.
In October 2020, the chairman made news To unveil a “cow dung chip”, claiming it “significantly reduces harmful radiation” emitted by mobile phones.
An official of the ministry, under which the commission falls, also said that the work of the commission was being carried out by the Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
“Under the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, we already have a Gokul Mission, entrusted with the task of developing and conserving indigenous breeds of cattle and improving their genetic makeup. Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog tried to do what was not needed. It was decided that its responsibilities would be merged with that of Gokul Mission and Animal Welfare Board of India,” said the senior government official.
Kathiria, who reached out to the phone, declined to comment on the matter.
However, a source close to Kathiria said, “The bureaucrats did not allow the commission to function and all plans and suggestions were stalled.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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