NITI Aayog panel pitches for capital aid for gaushalas, markets cow dung

A NITI Aayog panel on Friday suggested that gaushalas should be helped through capital assistance and marketing of cow dung and cow urine-based formulations for application in agriculture.

Besides, the task force, headed by NITI Aayog Member Ramesh Chand, has proposed setting up a portal for online registration of all gaushalas.

The report titled 'Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio Fertilisers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability of Gaushalas' said that gaushalas should be liberally financed for making capital investment and working expenses at concessional rates of interest.

All grants should be linked to the number of cows, it added.

According to the report, a portal like Darpan portal of NITI Aayog should be created for online registration of all gaushalas, which will then be eligible to get support from the animal welfare board.

Specific policy measures and support is required to encourage the commercial production, packaging, marketing and distribution of cow dung-based organic fertilisers including brand development, it said.

Further, the report said efforts should be made to attract private investments in mass scale production of organic and bio-fertliser, bio-pesticides, soil enriching products and stimulants for use of in agriculture and various types formulations for use in households.

Yogesh Suri, senior adviser at NITI Aayog; Virendra Kumar Vijay, professor at IIT Delhi; S K Dutta, joint commissioner at the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Ganesh Sharma, director of National Centre of Organic Farming; and Ujjawal Kumar, deputy secretary at the Department of Fertilisers, are among the members of the task force.