Bhopal, Jan 30 (IANS): The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has given its nod to set up 1,000 'gaushalas' or cow shelters in the state, one of the poll promises in its manifesto last year.

State government officials on Wednesday said the new cow shelters would come up in the next four months to accommodate around one lakh stray cows.

The official said that the decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday evening.

According to the official, the Rural Development department has been made the nodal agency for the cow shelter project. The official also pointed out that the government would seek help of gram panchayat, self-help groups, institutions empanelled with the State Board for Conservation of Bovine Animals, and the committed organisations selected by district-level committees.

The official said the Chief Minister has appealed to private organisations to participate in the project.

Currently, there is no government-managed cow shelter in the state. As many as 614 such shelters are managed privately.

The official said that the project would provide relief from stray cattle menace in urban and rural areas.

"This will also create employment opportunities in rural areas," he added.