Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 20 (NT): Swami Akhileshwaranand who recently elevated as the rank of a cabinet minister in the Madhya Pradesh (MP) government, on Wednesday appealed to BJP-led Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to form a cow ministry in the state.
He shared his opinion and argued that if there could be a cow secretariat in Rajasthan, a ministry for happiness in MP, then a cow ministry should be add up in the state for the welfare of the state. He said that the formation of the ministry will draw even more budget into the state and that he wanted the cow to be detached from the group of animal.
In an interview speaking to ANI, he asserted that he had earlier spoken to Chief Minister Chouhan regarding this issue.
"He (the chief minister) told me that he will restore all the cow-houses, and there will be no shortage of funds, there just needs to be the willpower and commitment towards the cause. Now I am even more hopeful as he was made the chairman of National Agriculture and MGNREGA committee," Akhileshwaranand quoted by ANI as saying.
"The state gets 15000 Cr under the scheme. I asked them how much they spend, they told me they could hardly spend half of it. So I asked them why was there this lapse, you are a part of the Cow Protection Board, provide me with a budget of 1000 Cr, I have a strong willpower for my cause, they told me I was not making any unconstitutional demand, they will back me," he further said.
Worth mention here the MP government had elevated Akhileshwaranand on June 13, formerly the state's Cow Protection Board chairperson, to the grade of a Cabinet minister.