Samast Mahajan organising training program on Sustainable Goshala Management

Pashu Sandesh,9th August 2019 Bengaluru(Karnataka)

Report: Dr R.B. Chaudhary

The Animal Welfare Board of India is currently functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying), Government of India for the purpose of Prevention of Cruelty and Welfare of Animals under a provision of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The AWBI headquarters is at Sikari, Ballabgarh of Haryana to ensure the effective functioning of Board by better coordination and support the animal welfare activities in the country, said Girish J. Shah, Member of the animal welfare Board of India(AWBI) and managing trustee of Samart Mahajan, Mumbai.

Shah addressing a press conference at Press Club, Bangalore stated that the AWBI is the statutory advisory body of the Government of India on Animal Welfare and its laws are to promote animal welfare in the country. The Board was established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (No. 59 of 1960), under the stewardship of Late Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, a well known humanitarian. The Board ensure implementation of animal welfare laws in the country and provide grants to Animal Welfare Organizations (AWOs) apart from advising the Central and State governments on animal welfare issues. The Board consists of 28 Members from different walk of life and the term of office of Members is for 3 years.

Shah stated that the AWBI provide financial assistance to the recognized AWOs and then, the AWBI support the AWOs if organizations are recognized by Board. Therefore, the Board invites applications for recognition in the prescribed format and once, the duly filled application is received from the AWOs, are scrutinized and eligible applications are placed before the Board for sanction of grant. Financial Assistance is released in two instalments after obtaining the audited statement of accounts and utilization certificate for the earlier grants with satisfactory inspection reports. The Board provides financial assistance to AWOs under various schemes viz. Regular Grant, Cattle Rescue Grant, Provision of Shelter House for looking after the Animals, Animal Birth Control (ABC) Programme, and Provision of Ambulance for the animals in distress and Natural Calamity grant.

"I  would like to share some of my personal efforts done in field thorough an NGO, Samast Mahajan,  working in the area of rural development, water harvesting, plantation, environmental protection, social issues and welfare of animals as well as Goshala development since more than two decades. The organization is the recipient of the “National Award" conferred by the government of India for the outstanding contributions. As you are aware that various States are nowadays facing the great challenge of the drought and famine. The condition of animals in Rajasthan had been very critical, especially for bovine animals are often found in crucial and pathetic condition due to lack of water and feed-fodder. Hence, we did rescue and rehabilitation work. I have observed that the animals of the Rajasthan border area are mostly effected and more attention are required. We, therefore, currently, determined to provide facilities for rescue operation by making some permanent solution through an arrangement of water and feed -fodder and veterinary services. Thus, to face such challenges of the natural calamities and drought, we are developing a traditional system of rural development by construction of ponds, growing local/desi grasses, developing pastures land and protecting  local trees/shrubs for sustainable development to face the challenge in Thar", stated Girish J. Shah

 

Stating his efforts with Samast Mahajan, Shah said that, "we have now adopted  25 villages of the border area of Rajasthan which are the most affected because they were very needy for rescue and rehabilitation to save suffering animals by providing feed- fodder and water". The Samast Mahajan is working on both issues i.e. rescue and lifesaving as well as working for a permanent solution by developing of a traditional system. We have engaged  25 JCB  for making ponds so that collection of rainwater to be done during the monsoon season to be used as the reserve water during scarcity conditions and, people are engaged to grow all local grasses and trees to make available feed-fodder available all throughout the year. A total expenditure of Rs. 1.76 crore has been spent so far for rescue operation only. However, this amount is very small to complete the project and making the village self-dependent by developing the natural and traditional system.

Devendra Jain trustee of Samast Mahajan informed that a training program on Goshala development would be organized in the month of September 2019 on making the goshala self Reliant. If any volunteer/AWO is willing to join the training, the Samast Mahajan can be contacted(+91 98251 29111/+919789859008) at the earliest.

 

Dr R.B. Chaudhary

(Science writer and journalist, former Media Head and

Chief Editor AWBI, Government of India)