Raipur, July 22, 2025/ Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai directed the officials in a high-level meeting held at the Ministry Mahanadi Bhawan today to ensure effective prevention of the movement of stray animals on the roads. He said that a major cause of road accidents is stray cattle, which all concerned departments will have to move forward with a quick, concrete and coordinated action plan to control.
Chief Minister Shri Sai directed the Department of Animal Husbandry Development, Urban Administration and Development, Panchayat and Rural Development and Public Works Department to share responsibility with mutual coordination. He clearly said that this problem is serious in both urban and rural areas and no laxity will be acceptable in its solution.
In the meeting, Chief Minister Shri Sai took detailed information about the status of the systems like Gaushalas, Gothans, Kanji Houses and Cow-Catchers operating in the state. He also held in-depth discussions on the current utility, capacity and possibilities of improvement of these institutions and sought suggestions.
Chief Minister Shri Sai specifically directed to develop an effective and practical model for the management of animals in the villages located along the national highways. He said that the presence of animals on the highways not only hinders traffic, but also causes fatal accidents, so action in this direction is necessary with priority.
The cases of road accidents and the role of stray animals in them were reviewed in the meeting. Along with this, while discussing the proposals related to Godhan Vikas, the Chief Minister talked about adopting a planned strategy for the care of stray and unclaimed cattle, availability of fodder and their rehabilitation.
The working of cow-catchers and its expansion were also discussed to prevent animals roaming on the roads in urban areas. Secretary of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Development Department, Mrs. Shehla Nigar, through a presentation, apprised the current status of Gothans, Gaushalas and Animal Husbandry Development schemes across the state.
In the meeting, Shri Visheshar Singh Patel, Chairman of Chhattisgarh State Gau Seva Commission, Chief Secretary Shri Amitabh Jain, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Shri Subodh Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development Department Smt. Niharika Barik Singh, Secretary to the Chief Minister Shri P. Dayanand and Shri Rahul Bhagat, Secretary to the Urban Administration Department and Chief Minister Dr. Baswaraju S. and Secretary of Public Works Department Dr. Kamalpreet Singh, along with senior officials of the concerned departments were present.