Lucknow: To ensure the welfare of cows, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday gave a nod to the proposal to levy a 2% 'cow welfare cess'.

The move is aimed to construct shelters for the cows in all districts, gram panchayats, municipalities, municipal corporations and other local bodies. A budget of Rs 100 crores has been sanctioned to the local bodies to construct the shelters under MNREGA.

In every district, both urban and rural areas, a cowshed of minimum 1,000 stray animals will be built and for this the excise department will levy a cess of 2%. This will be called 'cow welfare cess'.

Last week in Uttar Pradesh, farmers unhappy over stray cows destroying their crops, had driven them away and locked them up in government buildings, especially in Iglas and Khair tehsils. Unconfirmed reports said several schools in the area were closed as farmers turned the compounds into temporary cow shelters.

The development came at a time when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the officials concerned to make immediate arrangements for proper care of stray cows.

In December 2018, CM Yogi had called a belated meeting over Bulandshahr violence. He had reportedly directed the police to take strict action against those involved in the alleged cow slaughter that caused the violence. Neither the chief minister nor the officials present at the meeting had said a word about the murder of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was shot in the head as he was trying to pacify the mob.