Lucknow, 2017.12.23 (TNN): The UP government has asked the Centre to set up an international veterinary university in Mathura with focus on cattle, saying that the cow is a sacred animal in the Braj region. The government’s move comes following a detailed note prepared by UP power minister Shrikant Sharma, who is also Mathura MLA.
In its note, the government has said that animal rearing is an important part of the economy as well as of spiritual growth of people. “From the beginning of mankind’s evolution, animal rearing has been an inherent part of their lives. Gai ki yahan pooja hoti hai. Viseshkar Braj mai gai ka uchch sthan hai (The cow is revered here and has a special place in Braj),” it said.
The state government has said the land for the central university has been identified in Mathura where the staterun Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Veterinary University is running since 2001. “We have 2,250 acres of land available. Of this, we have 1,450 acres of agricultural farm and remaining for the faculty. This land can be used to build the new campus.
“As of now, we have a staff of 100 and are publishing research papers for international journals on breakthroughs in cattle rearing. I tried my best to convince the Samajwadi Party government to get Centre support to build a university here but that did not happen. With BJP at the Centre and state, this will happen,” said Krishan Murari Pathak, vice-chancellor of the veterinary university.
This campus has a state budget of around Rs 5 crore.
According to the proposal, the international university is likely to be built by the Union agriculture ministry. Sources said the university will cost the Centre Rs 510 crore. The existing veterinary university might be converted to an international university or a new one might be made. The UP government plans to introduce fishing, dairy science and dairy technology courses at the exclusive Centrerun cattle university. In its note, the Yogi government has also launched a veiled attack at the Congress government, saying since Independence, there has no been no attempt to set up a central university for animal upkeep. ([g 13)
Reacting to the note, both Samajwadi Party and Congress had said that in the wake of deaths in Gorakhpur, government must prioritise health facilities for children and their education as it does for cattle. “There are 30 crore cattle, 6.5 crore sheep and 13.3 crore goats in India. If this university comes up, nearly 1.64 crore farmers in India can take its help,” the note said.
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