To counter the menace of stray cattle, the state government has proposed a new scheme under which farmers will be paid on a monthly basis to take care of the bovines.

The project to be named ‘UP Nirashit, Besahara Gauvansh Yojana’ was cleared by the UP Cabinet on Tuesday. Under this scheme, farmers will get Rs 30 per day per cattlehead for taking care of the bovines. As per estimate, UP has 205.66 lakh cattle, of which 10.01 lakh are stray.

Health minister Sidharth Nath Singh said that the government expected the adoption of strays by farmers to be around one lakh heads, for which a fund of Rs 109.50 crore has been sanctioned. 

Singh said that district magistrates and district veterinary officers of each district would head the committees to monitor the scheme and farmers would initially be paid on a quarterly basis and later on a monthly basis.

In another important decision, the government decided that only noting in files would be given to the people. 

“Sometimes we get queries about hearsay and when we ignore, complaints are lodged with the State Information Commissioner. To protect officers, the government has made amendments to State RTI Act under which information available in files will be shared with the complainants,” the spokesman said.

In another decision, the government introduced Kayakalp Scheme for safai workers in four medical colleges of Jhansi,  Prayagraj, Meerut and Gorakhpur. Under this scheme, safai workers will be appointed for specific work. 

“Earlier, their appointments were generalised and the same worker used to clean the hospital compound as well as operation theatre. Now,  the appointments will be made for specific work. Since OTs need special care, separate appointments will be made. Under the scheme, 313 new safai workers will be appointed by removing the existing 161,” the spokesperson said.