Grants Claimed For Dead Cows: Rajasthan Audit Uncovers Rs 57 Crore Discrepancies

An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged alleged irregularities exceeding Rs 57 crore in Rajasthan's cow protection scheme, stating that government grants were released to gaushalas based on inflated cattle numbers and, in some instances, for cows that had either died or were not present in the shelters during the period for which assistance was claimed.

The CAG report found that 38 gaushalas allegedly reported around 1.31 lakh more cattle in their applications than were actually present, leading to the release of additional grants worth Rs 57.36 crore, India Today reported.

The audit said the figures submitted by several gaushalas did not match either their own daily cattle registers or the data available on the Bharat Pashudhan App. Despite these discrepancies, grants continued to be sanctioned without sufficient verification.

The report further noted that payments were also made for invalid or inactive cattle tags, as well as for cattle without registered identification tags.

Under the scheme, gaushalas are entitled to receive Rs 40 per day for each adult cow and Rs 20 per day for every calf towards fodder and water expenses.

Grants Allegedly Claimed For Dead Or Missing Cattle

Among the more serious findings, the CAG said that in several cases, financial assistance was claimed for cows that had already died or were not housed in the concerned gaushalas during the period for which grants were released.

The audit stated that these irregularities contributed to excess payments under the scheme and highlighted shortcomings in monitoring and record verification.

Jaipur Shelters Among Those Named In Audit

The report identifies several prominent gaushalas across Rajasthan, including facilities in Jaipur, Deeg, Jalore, Bharatpur and Sikar.

According to the audit, Pinjrapole Gaushala in Jaipur allegedly received around Rs 1.81 crore in excess grants, while Hingonia Gaushala was reportedly sanctioned nearly Rs 1.41 crore beyond what was due.

The largest alleged discrepancy was reported at Shri Braj Kamad Surabhi Van Research Institute Gaushala in Deeg district, where the CAG said around Rs 16.36 crore was released in excess. The report noted that despite being the district's only relevant gaushala, it accounted for the highest amount highlighted in the audit.

Another major case involved Shri Gopal Govardhan Gaushala, Pathmeda, in Jalore district, which allegedly received Rs 10.95 crore in excess grants. The report also names three gaushalas in Bharatpur and six in Sikar among those where discrepancies were detected, India Today reported citing CAG report.

Recovery Process Underway

Following the audit findings, the Rajasthan Gopalan Department ordered the recovery of the Rs 57.36 crore identified as excess grants.

The Directorate of Gopalan issued notices to the 38 gaushalas on May 29, 2026, directing them to deposit the alleged excess amount within the stipulated period. The notices also warned that failure to comply could result in the suspension of future administrative and financial approvals.

However, according to the report, a significant portion of the money remains unrecovered despite repeated recovery notices.

Gaushalas Reject Fraud Allegations

Gaushala operators have denied that they deliberately claimed grants for non-existent cattle.

According to them, the discrepancies stemmed from documentation-related issues rather than fraudulent claims. They have also said the matter is currently before an inquiry committee and maintained that the irregularities should not be interpreted as intentional misuse of government funds.