The project worth Rs300 crore, which aims to prevent road mishaps involving stray cattle, has been launched already
By Aabshar H Quazi
(From Kota, RAJASTHAN)
Road accidents involving stray animals could well become a thing of the past in Kota as a new residential colony for cattle breeder nears completion.
The Urban Development and Housing Ministry (UDH) of the Rajasthan Government has completed construction of a Rs-300 crore residential cattle colony on the outskirts of Kota city where all cattle breeders and dairies will be housed.
The move aims to curb road accidents involving stray cattle in Kota city. More than three dozen people have died in such accidents in Kota in the recent years. This residential colony dedicated for cattle breeders will have houses and cattle farms.
Once the cattle colony gets its residents, roads in Kota city won’t see stray cattle roaming. The unique project developed by the Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) Kota, which falls under UDH Ministry, is named Devnarayan Yojana.
Stray cattle and road mishaps involving them had cropped up as an issue during the last assembly polls in Kota.
UDH Minister in the Rajasthan Government, Shanti Dhariwal, said there are around 940 cattle breeders in Kota of which 429 are living on encroached land while the rest are rearing their cattle on their own land. The population of cattle is around 14,014 in the city which often leads to accidents in the city. To avoid such accidents in the smart city Kota, UIT Kota developed the colony for cattle breeders of Puniya, Devri and Dharampura villages on a plot of around 1,000 hectares on the outskirts of Kota and around 7.5km from the National Highway no 27.
“Residential colony for cattle breeders has houses on 400 square feet area which have two rooms, kitchen, toilet and bathroom, where there is space in front of the house for cattle rearing,” the UDH Minister said.
“Cattle breeders will be given Rs1.50 lakh of subsidy under the Prime Minister Aawas Yojana and additional concessions of Rs75,000 to Rs1 lakh depending on the plot size, he said, adding that the scheme offers plots in three sizes – 30×60 feet, 30×70 feet and 40×90 feet.
The scheme, the minister noted, will help provide better residential facilities to cattle breeders who often live in pathetic conditions due to lack of sufficient space and facilities.
Rajesh Joshi, UIT, Secretary Kota, disclosed that the residential colony for cattle breeders has biogas plant, health centre, school, sewerage treatment plant, fodder godown and other facilities.
While private dairies will also be moved out of the city and they will be prohibited from functioning in the city, they will be provided land of the sizes of 2,000 sq feet, 1,500 sq feet and 1,000 sq feet land, Joshi said.
“Cattle rearing, running dairies and selling fodder for cows will remain completely prohibited in the Kota city and strict action will be taken against the violators,” he said.
