Gandhinagar, July 15 (IANS) The Gujarat Cabinet on Wednesday delegated powers to district collectors to take immediate decisions on fodder arrangements for cattle in areas experiencing deficient rainfall, a move aimed at reducing delays in providing assistance to gaushalas, panjarapoles and livestock owners.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi announced the decision after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, saying the new arrangement would allow district administrations to respond more quickly to local conditions instead of waiting for approvals through a longer administrative process.

He said the decision applies to parts of the state that have received inadequate rainfall and where fodder shortages could affect livestock.

“This authority has now been given directly to the Collectors so that the time taken in the process is reduced and they can take decisions immediately based on the situation in their respective districts,” Sanghavi added.

He said the objective was to ensure that cattle, gaushalas and panjarapoles did not face shortages of fodder and feed because of below-normal rainfall.

The announcement comes as rainfall has varied considerably across Gujarat during the current monsoon season.

While Surat and parts of south Gujarat experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall and flooding during the first week of July, several other regions have received comparatively lower rainfall, prompting the state government to prepare for localised fodder requirements.

The India Meteorological Department has also forecast a weakening of the active monsoon spell and below-normal rainfall from mid-July after the Southwest monsoon covered the entire country.

During the briefing, Sanghavi also extended birthday greetings to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, noting that the Chief Minister had earlier appealed against celebrations involving newspaper advertisements or garlands and had instead encouraged people to mark the occasion through public service activities.

“Cabinet colleagues had conveyed their greetings to the Chief Minister during the meeting,” he said.

Sanghavi also added that administrative preparations had been completed across Gujarat for Wednesday’s Rath Yatra celebrations in Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Anand and other districts to ensure the processions are conducted smoothly.

–IANS

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