Goa may rope in local temples to take care of stray cattle

To curb the nuisance created by growing number of stray cattle, the Goa government has decided to involve local temples to take care of them.
"There are many temple committees who own large chunks of lands. They can make it available to the NGOs or animal welfare societies working for the cause of stray cattle," State Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar told PTI today.
According to a rough estimate, there are more than 30,000 cattle who are left to fend for themselves on roads which results into frequent traffic snarls and accidents.
"If land is available, the NGOs or animal welfare societies can built cowsheds. There are many (people and organisations) who want to contribute for this cause but availability of land is a major issue," the minister said.

Tawadkar said the government will write to the temple committees requesting them to donate land.
"Once land is made available we can provide all the necessary financial support. We will formulate a special scheme to protect the cattle," he added.