Cow protection has been among the top government agendas for the UP government.

Eight government officers have been suspended in Uttar Pradesh in Ayodhya and Mirzapur districts after cows were found dead at state-run shelters in the last few days.

Officials in several other districts have been given warnings and multiple inquiries have been ordered to review the cattle shelters across the state.

In the last few weeks, several cows were found dead in the state-run shelters across UP. The deaths were linked to starvation and other factors such as rain and lightening.

Since the Yogi Adityanath government came to power after winning a huge majority in 2017 state elections, cow protection has been among the top government agendas.

A few months ago, after widespread discontent about stray cattle destroying crops in the agricultural fields and farmers locking them up in schools and government buildings, the Yogi Adityanath government had announced that cattle shelters would be built across the state.

The government also imposed a cess on the sale of items related to excise department items, alcohol for instance, to fund the maintenance of these shelters .

However, reports have come in from multiple locations about the way these shelters are being run. In Prayagraj, for instance, 30 cows died in the last 48 hours at one of the shelters. The cows were electrocuted to death after an electric pole fell on the ground in a water-logged shelter, the district administration said.

Pictures from a shelter in Ayodhya show carcasses of cows lying on a ground near the shelter. Prominent seers in the temple town have issued a public appeal to the state government to review the situation.