Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has said that Mother Nature has bestowed everything upon us. We should all express our gratitude towards nature through worship and conservation. Govardhan Pooja is a festival that celebrates our faith, traditions and gratitude towards nature. Lord Shri Krishna lifted the entire Govardhan Hill on his little finger to protect the people of Braj and their cattle from devastating floods. There can be no greater example of protecting humanity and collective cooperation. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav was addressing the State-Level Gau Poojan and Livestock Rearers' Felicitation Ceremony organised at Ravindra Bhavan on Monday.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that the Government is an integral part of society and its participation in social events is essential. Therefore, the Government will now actively participate in all kinds of social events. He said that dairy cooperatives are being strengthened in the State through White Revolution 2.0. Our target is to make Madhya Pradesh the Milk Capital of India within the next two years. For this, the daily milk collection capacity is being targeted to increase from 12 lakh kg to 52 lakh kg. The Chief Minister said that alongside Gau Seva, the economic prosperity of livestock rearers is also a priority of the State Government. The number of cow ambulances will be increased, and modern, self-reliant Gaushalas will be developed.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav called upon all the people of the State to resolve to conserve cattle wealth, protect natural resources and make villages prosperous. He said that with everyone's cooperation and participation, we will build an Aatmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that increasing milk production requires the rearing of high-yielding cattle breeds. Besides indigenous cows, Gir and Sahiwal cows are known for their higher milk yield. He informed that Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah has approved the establishment of a centre in Bhopal for the production of embryos of high-yielding cattle breeds, on the lines of Gujarat, to boost milk production in Madhya Pradesh. The centre will produce 1 lakh embryos annually. This will promote the rearing of improved cattle breeds and increase milk production in the State. He further informed that a hi-tech Gaushala with a capacity to house 10,000 cattle is also being constructed at Barkhedi Dob in Bhopal.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that economically empowering livestock rearers is equally important to promote animal husbandry on a large scale. Under the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Kamdhenu Yojana, financial assistance through loans of up to ₹42 lakh and subsidies of up to ₹13.86 lakh are being provided for establishing a unit of 25 milch cows or buffaloes. To enhance transparency and operational efficiency in the dairy sector, the entire dairy value chain network is being made 100 per cent digital.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav pressed the remote control button to transfer, through a single click, a total grant of ₹65.66 crore for the upkeep and maintenance of more than 5.51 lakh cattle housed in over 3,000 registered Gaushalas across the State.
Under the Gopal-Krishna Gram Puraskar Yojana, the Chief Minister also transferred a total of ₹2.95 crore directly into the bank accounts of 466 outstanding livestock rearers across the State. The first, second and third prize winners received ₹1 lakh, ₹50,000 and ₹25,000, respectively.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav felicitated the State's leading livestock rearers and milk producers, including Shri Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Shri Dnyaneshwar Patel, Shri Sunil Singh Panwar, Shri Kushal Singh Dangi, Shri Narmada Prasad Patel, Shri Vikram Singh Meena, Shri Rambabu, Shri Chhatarsingh Dhakad, Shri Rajesh Patidar, Shri Mukesh Verma, Shri Mohanlal Prasad, Shri Hargovind Patel and Shri Santosh Kumar. They were presented with certificates of appreciation and special 56 Bhog platters. The Chief Minister also honoured Gau Sevaks and Gaushala operators Shri Premichand Jain, Shri Suraj Parmar, Shri Brijesh Vyas and Shri Prahlad Das Mangal for their dedicated service to cattle over the past several years. The Gir cow owned by Shri Gaurav Raghuvanshi of Talod village in Ujjain district secured the first position in the State, producing 19.760 litres of milk per day. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav congratulated all the award-winning livestock rearers.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that cow rearing is not merely a matter of religious faith but also a strong foundation of the rural economy and self-reliance. Lord Shri Krishna's Govardhan Leela teaches us to respect nature, conserve cattle wealth and work together as a society. Our lives will remain happy and prosperous only when nature is protected.cHe said that, 5,000 years ago, Lord Shri Krishna had established the principle that everyone has an equal right to nature, forests and all living beings. Shri Krishna truly encouraged cow rearing and, through the service of Gau Mata, conveyed to society that the cow, revered as a compassionate mother, is a cornerstone of human economic development.
Besides providing milk, cow dung is used to produce manure, which enriches organic and natural farming. He said that all destitute and stray cows in the State are being shifted to the nearest Gaushalas. To strengthen Gaushalas and ensure nutritious feed for the cattle housed there, the grant provided per cow has been increased from ₹20 to ₹40. He emphasised that prosperity cannot be achieved through crop cultivation alone. Agriculture must be complemented by animal husbandry, including the rearing of cows, buffaloes and goats, fisheries, horticulture, and organic and natural farming. The State Government is actively promoting all these sectors. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav informed that Madhya Pradesh ranks first in the country in natural farming.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that large-scale livestock fairs will also be organised across the State. At these fairs, the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Departments will showcase advanced and modern agricultural equipment as well as high-yielding cattle breeds. This will help farmers gain knowledge about rearing improved cattle breeds to enhance milk production.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that Geeta Bhavans are being established in urban areas and Geeta Jayanti is celebrated every year. In addition, Vrindavan Grams are being developed across all 313 development blocks of the State to encourage livestock rearers. He further informed that construction works worth ₹400 crore are underway in Orchha for Shri Ramraja Sarkar Lok, while projects worth ₹2,000 crore are also being implemented in Chitrakoot.
Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare and Cooperation Shri Vishwas Kailash Sarang, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Smt. Krishna Gaur, MLAs Shri Rameshwar Sharma, Shri Bhagwandas Sabnani and Shri Vishnu Khatri, Mayor Smt. Malti Rai, Municipal Corporation Chairman Shri Kishan Suryavanshi, Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Dr. Sudam Khade, Cultural Advisor to the Chief Minister Shri Shriram Tiwari, Director, Animal Husbandry, Shri P.S. Patel, Director, Culture, Shri M.P. Namdev, Shri Raghunandan Sharma, other public representatives and a large number of livestock rearers were present at the programme.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav offered prayers, performed the circumambulation and conducted the Aarti of Lord Govardhan at the specially constructed installation on the premises of Ravindra Bhavan. He extended Govardhan Pooja greetings and best wishes to everyone and also visited the stalls set up at the venue. On the occasion, members of the community welcomed and felicitated Chief Minister Dr. Yadav by presenting him with a traditional safa and mementoes.
Gau Poojan and Govardhan Pooja Also Performed at Chief Minister's Residence
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav worshipped the cattle housed in the Gaushala at his official residence. He also performed traditional rituals in worship of Lord Govardhan, specially installed there, and reverentially circumambulated Girvar (Govardhan Hill). He extended heartfelt greetings and best wishes to everyone on the occasion of Govardhan Pooja. The Gaushala at the Chief Minister's residence was attractively decorated with flowers for the occasion.
