MP Cabinet approves new cow-shelter policy
A cabinet meeting headed by CM Mohan Yadav on Tuesday was mainly attributed to a new policy on cow shelters and milk production.
On April 13, a state-level Gopal Sammelan (conference of cooperative milk producers) will be held in Bhopal in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah. It is expected that an MoU will be signed between the MP State Cooperative Dairy Federation Limited and the National Dairy Development Board. Thus, Tuesday's cabinet meeting was dedicated mainly to dairy farming and the bovine family.
In its major decision, cabinet decided to approve the "Madhya Pradesh State Self-reliant Gaushalas Establishment Policy: 2025" under the animal husbandry and dairy department for resolving the issue of stray cattle in the state. Cabinet also decided to increase the assistance for gaushalas (cow-shelters) from Rs 20 per cow per day to Rs 40 per cow per day to encourage the establishment of bovine shelters. Cabinet also decided to rename the Chief Minister's Animal Husbandry Development Scheme to Dr Ambedkar Animal Husbandry Development Scheme.
Shukla said the objective of the entire dairy development plan was to increase employment opportunities, enhance productivity of milk, increase farmers' income, contribute to the state's GDP, and the national GDP.
A state govt release said, "Under the approval, zero percent interest rate credit cards will be made available to farmers for animal husbandry activities through cooperatives. Programs such as embryo transplantation, sterility control camps, Chief Minister's Dairy Plus program, fodder production program, awards for the state's indigenous cattle breeds and advanced dairy breeds, and orientation programs for animal breeders will continue."
In another decision, the cabinet approved signing an MoU with Edcil (India) Limited, an organisation affiliated with the Union Ministry of Education, to improve the quality of education under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. The state govt explained that Edcil (India) Limited is a Mini Ratna Category-1 public sector enterprise under the central govt. The organisation will implement various activities under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in Madhya Pradesh, including workshops on improving learning, learning outcome-based evaluations, scientific exposure visits outside the state, teacher development, continuous professional development, and improving teaching strategies.
The cabinet also gave an administrative sanction for the Malhargarh (Shivna) Pressurized Micro Irrigation Project for Rs 2932.30 crore. The project will irrigate 60,000 hectares under the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project in Mandsaur district. This project will benefit 32 villages in Malhargarh Tehsil and 115 villages in Mandsaur Tehsil.
The meeting approved providing a govt guarantee for working capital loans or cash credit facilities to the state's power companies. "To ascertain constant cash flow to our power distribution companies, the cabinet decided to give govt guarantee on loans taken by these companies totalling Rs 12,466 crore in the fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26. The state will charge a fee of Rs 0.5% for the guarantee."
Besides, the cabinet approved the revised tender format for establishing medical colleges in the state on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The State-Level Empowered Committee for PPP projects, under the chairmanship of the chief secretary, has been authorised to make necessary changes in the tender format and resolve other issues.
Source : Dairynews7x7 10th April 2025 The Hindustan Times