New Twist To CSR: Care For The Cow, Get Tax Benefits
Social responsibility by business houses may soon move beyond caring for mother earth to caring for gau mata. The Aditya Nath Yogi government has directed divisional commissioners and district magistrates to reach out to private companies and business houses and encourage them to set up and support shelters for cows as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Also, MPs and MLAs have been asked to visit shelters and donate from their local area development fund for cow conservation.
Companies will also be asked to diversify and make products using “panchgavya”, a mixture of cow urine, dung, milk, ghee and curd. As part of the project, the Jhansi divisional commissioner has been asked to contact the business family that makes products using cow urine.
The state will urge the Centre to give rebate under Income Tax Act to private companies, individuals and organisations who make donations to care for cows.
On August 30, Yogi had chaired a meeting of UP Go Sewa Ayog and directed departments like animal husbandry, forest, revenue, agriculture, horticulture, urban development, rural development, panchayati raj and irrigation to work with municipal corporations and district administration to ensure that there are enough shelter homes for abandoned and stray cows so that they don’t die of starvation.
The minutes of the meeting state that Gau Sanrakshan Samitis should be constituted under district magistrates and it should be ensured that, apart from officials and NGOs, there is enough representation of cow lovers. The committees will en sure smooth functioning of gaushalas and help make them self-sustainable by producing products using panchgavya. In the first phase, pasture lands will be developed in the seven districts of Bundelkhand -Mahoba, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Banda, Jalaun, Lalitpur and Jhansi.
Govansh Vanya Vihar (shelter homes for cows on forestry land) will be developed for at least 1,000 cows in each district of Bundelkhand. “This is aimed at putting the anna pratha in Bun delkhand to an end,’ said sources.
Farmers in Bundelkhand abandon their cows from the start of summers till the next crop is sown. Bundelkhand has been facing drought for the past nine years and farmers abandoned their cows as they aren’t able to feed them.
In addition, 16 municipal corporations have been asked to set up cow shelters and seek public participation for the cause. In case the corporations cannot generate enough funds through donations and grants.
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