PTI, LUCKNOW: The Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Wednesday slammed the state government’s decision to levy a cess to fund temporary shelters for cattle, saying this would burden people.
The BJP government decided Tuesday to introduce an additional levy of 0.5 per cent as cow welfare cess on eight profit-making public sector infrastructure companies to fund the construction and maintenance of cow shelters.
The cess will also apply on travel on some expressways where motorists already pay a toll. In addition `mandi parishads, which have been giving 1 per cent of their income for cow welfare, will now be asked to pay 2 per cent.
The Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party have criticised the move.
“It is the responsibility of the government to protect cows, but I wonder why the people are being burdened,” SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said.
BSP president Mayawati challenged the Centre to impose a similar cess at the national-level, “if the protection of cows can be ensured through such thinking of the BJP and the RSS”.
UP Congress spokesman Anshu Awasthi said, “The BJP is in power in UP for more than 20 months, but nothing concrete has been done for the cows.”
“When the farmers and others are facing immense hardships due to stray cattle, they are now trying to somehow send a message that serious measures are being taken,” he said when contacted.
He said the Bharatiya Janata Party had sought votes in the name of the cow and now its government is burdening common people, invoking cows.
