Kolkata, Nov 15 (Zee News): The Mamata Banerjee government will soon be distributing cows among families living in panchayat areas across West Bengal. The decision was announced ahead of rural elections are scheduled to be held next year.

The government is claiming that the project will make the families self-reliant and increase milk production in the state. "The state government has decided to distribute cows to families residing in the panchayat areas of the districts. We want those families to be self-reliant," Animal Resources Development Minister Swapan Debnath said.

Distribution of cows will begin soon and the process is expected to be completed in the next couple of months.

"We are hopeful that through the distribution of cows we will be able to enhance milk production. That is the reason we have decided to distribute female calves," the minister said.

Claiming that during the current government's tenure, milk production in the state has gone up by 16 per cent as compared to what it was during the Left Front rule, he said, "there is still shortfall and we want to overcome it," Debnath said.

The minister, however, added that the decision has nothing to do with the panchayat elections.

As per the decision, each family will get one cow. The distribution of cows would start with Birbhum district where the state government has set an initial target of giving away 1,000 cows.