HP collected Rs 8 cr as cow cess, rehabilitated 15,177 cattle

Shimla, Nov 22 : Nearly Rs 8 crore collected as cow cess through the sale of liquor in Himachal Pradesh has helped the state government to so far rehabilitate and shelter 15,177 abandoned and stray cattle.
The BJP government led by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had constituted the Gau Seva Aayog in February 2019 to protect and rehabilitate cows. As per the 2012 census, the state has 32,160 stray cattle.
To raise financial resources, the government said on Sunday, it has been levying Re 1 as Gau Vansh cess on the sale of each liquor bottle since March 2018.
The cess funds are deposited in the account of Gau Seva Aayog. Till date, Rs 7.95 crore has been collected.
The government also gives 15 per cent of the collections of temple trusts to the cess fund. Every year, around Rs 17 crore is thus raised.
The state government had allocated Rs 15.03 crore to the Gau Seva Aayog in 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21.