Nagpur, Nov 14 (Indian Express): Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had on Friday requested Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis to consider providing 1,000 acres of land to Yoga guru Ramdev for a cow-based project in Vidarbha. On Sunday, Gadkari announced that the state government would raise a Rs 25,000-crore project on 800 acres at Heti (Kundi) village in Vidarbha, to be carried forward with the help of Ramdev’s Patanjali group.

According to Gadkari, Patanjali will purchase 10,000 cows to develop a breeding centre and to carry out dairy and allied activities at the site.

Asked if the CM processed the proposal within two days, sources in Chief Minister’s Office said, “It hasn’t come to CMO as yet.”

Wardha Collector Shailesh Nawal said, “There is already a cow breeding centre of the state animal husbandry department at Heti (Kundi). There is a proposal to develop it but it has to come through the animal husbandry department.”

Animal Husbandry Commissioner Kantilal Umap said, “We have a breeding centre for a desi breed of cows called gawlau at Heti (Kundi). It is spread over 328 hectares of which 40.80 hectares belong to our department and we have grazing rights over 227.2 hectares, which belong to the forest department. There is a proposal to rejuvenate the centre. Whether it is to be developed on public-private partnership, strategic partnership or build-operate-transfer basis is under consideration. There was some discussion among the Union minister, the CM and the animal husbandry minister regarding this.”

Patanjali’s Acharya Balkrishna told The Indian Express, “We want to raise a service-oriented project, which will be basically a mother bull farm. It will not be a commercial project. Gadkariji has told us to expeditiously send a detailed project report, which is being readied for submission to the CM.”

Asked if Patanjali will purchase the land, he said, “No. As I said, it’s not a commercial project and will basically benefit the country. We will operate on government land with an investment of Rs 500 crore. If it’s on PPP basis, then it works well since we will be able to get government funds too to run the project.”