Rs 900 crore scheme to bail out goshalas?

According to reports, a sum of Rs 900 crore has been set aside by the Finance Ministry in a scheme by which registered mutts across the country will receive financial assistance to maintain goshalas.

Nearly 3 months after Pejawar Math senior seer Sri Vishwaprasanna Theertha Sripada wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urging her to release a maintenance package for maintaining goshalas across the country that are facing hardship because of coronavirus pandemic, the Centre seems to be ready with a scheme.

According to a report in the Times of India, a sum of Rs 900 crore has been set aside in a scheme by which registered mutts across the country will receive financial assistance to maintain goshalas.

The TOI report cited Nirmala Sitharaman as saying that this amount will be sent to the registered goshalas through the state governments and that her ministry will also communicate the fine print of this scheme to the state governments and ensure that the goshalas get the above financial aid. The revelation came during Pejawar Math senior seer's recent meeting with the finance minister in New Delhi.

In his letter written at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in August, Pejawar Math senior seer said, "Like other sectors of the country, which are facing a severe financial crisis, goshalas are also facing difficulty due to coronavirus. The maintenance of goshalas is highly expensive. Now even devotees cannot donate as they are short of funds. In addition, the rains that are lashing for the past two months have made our work of collecting hay for the cows more difficult."

"Hence, as the union government has declared special packages for various sectors in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, at least Rs 200 crore should be released for the management of goshalas. Not only with respect to religion but the protection of cows should be seen from the point of view of financial wellbeing also," he had said.