Bhopal, Oct 21 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday performed Govardhan Puja in his home district, Ujjain, and later attended a similar programme organised at Ravindra Bhavan in Bhopal.

On this auspicious occasion, the Chief Minister extended heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the citizens of the state and conveyed messages of good health, economic prosperity, family and societal harmony, and environmental protection.

The Govardhan Parv, which follows Diwali, symbolises the ancient Indian tradition of reverence for nature, mountains, and the protection of the ‘Gaumata’ (mother cow).

This tradition is vividly represented by Lord Krishna lifting the Govardhan mountain on his finger. Govardhan Puja is performed in sacred remembrance of this divine act of protecting humanity.

The Chief Minister said the Govardhan festival inspires the preservation and promotion of cattle wealth, which is crucial for India’s rural economy and environmental conservation. It embodies an Indian worldview in which there is a balance between nature, animals, humans, and divinity.

“I am pleased to share that Govardhan Parv is being celebrated across the state. It is being observed in all districts in line with local rituals and cultural traditions. During these celebrations, innovators in the fields of animal husbandry and dairy production will be honoured,” CM Yadav said in a statement.

On this occasion, initiatives have been launched to connect people with the welfare schemes of the Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, and Cooperative Departments, and to promote rural livelihoods through the expansion of milk production and the Vrindavan Gram Scheme.

“We are working to double the income of livestock-rearing farmers. Madhya Pradesh currently contributes 9 per cent to the country’s milk production, and our goal is to increase this to 20 per cent,” he added.

CM Yadav stated that several initiatives have been taken in the state, including the construction of new gaushalas (cow shelters), increasing per-cow subsidy, encouraging cow product entrepreneurs, setting up modern CNG plants using cow dung, and collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

“It is a matter of pride that there are 2,900 cow shelters in Madhya Pradesh benefiting farmers and livestock owners. Under the Chief Minister Gau Seva Yojana, as many as 2,203 gaushalas are currently operational,” he added.

In the past year alone, over 1,000 new gaushalas have been started. To provide shelter and care for cows, gaushalas have been opened in Gwalior, Ujjain, and Indore municipal areas.

In Bhopal, a gaushala with a 10,000-capacity is under construction on 69.18 acres of land. At the Cow Sanctuary, Research and Production Centre in Salaria, Agar-Malwa district, 6,500 cows are currently being taken care of.

–IANS

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