Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 16: Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner (DC) Dr Rajendra K V revealed that the government has released a grant of Rs 36 lac to build a government-run cow shelter at Ramakunja village in Kadaba taluk. He also stated that land measuring 98.45 acre has been identified for the purpose.

He was speaking after presiding over a meeting recently organized at the office of the deputy commissioner here.

"Out of the amount released, in the first phase, a ten acre plot will be fenced and tube well will be dug to grow enough fodder. In the next phase, sheds will be built for the cows," he explained. He stated that in order to lessen the dependence on the cow shelter at the district level, steps will be taken to create cow shelters in all the taluks. He added that temples of the religious endowments department have been identified for the purpose of building cow shelters. He felt that this will make it easier to manage the cow shelters.

"In the initial stages, we have identified temples falling under the religious endowment department like Kukke Subrahmanya temple, Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple, Polali Rajarajeshwari temple, Puttur Lord Mahalingeshwara temple and Sowthadka Mahaganapathi temple. Land as needed for building the cow shelters will be earmarked by the district administration," he said.

The DC said that plans are being drawn up by Kukke Subrahmanya temple to build environment friendly cow shelters. "For this purpose, deemed forest nearer to the temples have been chosen where without cutting down the trees, by making use of the existing trees, new model cow shelters will be built in the midst of the trees," he said. He also revealed about the plan to develop these sites as tourist spots in course of time, and that it will be easy to collect resources needed to maintain the cow shelters from the devotees visiting the temple in such a case.

Deputy director of animal husbandry department, Dr Prasannakumar T G, deputy director of Polyclinic, Dr Ramprakash, Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple managing committee president Harinarayana Asranna, Karnataka Animal Welfare Board members, and Dinesh Pai, member of District Prani Daya Sangha, were present.