To Make Cow Shelters Safer For Bovines, Maneka Gandhi Pens Gaushala Manual

Gandhi, in the foreword, expressed her concern over the poor upkeep of the shelters where "abandoned animals are herded in one small closure."

"The mortality rate in gaushalas is 10% a month. The idea behind writing the manual is to make such shelters more sensitive to the need of the animals that are sought to be saved and also make them financially viable," she further wrote. She also slammed the trusts and individuals that runs these shelters by accussing them of animal exploitation. "It's good to have a temple in shelters but what about medical facilities," she asked.

According to the report, Gandhi said that she will send the manual to gaushalas across the country. She also plans to request government departments such as the one in charge of animal husbandry and agencies such as the Animal Welfare Board of India to adopt the manual.

Between 2014 and 2016 the Indian government spent Rs 5.8 billion rupees on cow shelters.

Cow shelter aims at providing space to aged bovines who are of no use to farmers.  To prevent unproductive cows being sent to the abattoir, the government started the Rashtriya Gokul Mission in mid-2014, a national programme that involves constructing havens for aged cows. Proceeds from the animals’ bodily waste are intended to pay for their upkeep. In May 2016 the Indian national government held an inaugural national conference on goshalas.