Bengaluru: Aurad goshala does a vanishing act

KALABURAGI: This Goshala at Aurad (B) village on the outskirts of the city, which has been set up by the district administration in the wake of severe drought conditions, is perhaps unique in the state.

The Goshala, is full of cattle and bristling with activity during VVIPs’ visits but does a “vanishing  act” soon after their departure. The cattle shed near the Swami Samarth Temple was swarming with cattle and farmers on Friday when  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited it as part of his tour to drought affected places.  

The Chief Minister was quite pleased to know that the authorities had provided shelter and made arrangements for fodder and water for as many as 380 cattle in the shed abutting the Kalaburagi-Bidar highway.

But a visit to the shed on Saturday and Sunday presented a different picture as nearly 80 to 90 per cent of the cattle were missing from the place. It was revealed that in view of the CM’s visit, the authorities had persuaded farmers of nearby villages to send their cattle to the shed and after the visit, they were taken home. 

When Leader of the Opposition K.S. Eshwarappa visited the cowshed to see the situation, nearly half of the total cattle that were present on Friday, were brought back. When Mr Eshwarappa sought an explanation from the Deputy Commissioner Vipul Bansal, the latter alleged the media was writing whatever it wanted about the cowshed for reasons best known to them. 

When one of the farmer complained to Mr Eshwarappa that the fodder that was provided in the cowshed was not suitable for consumption by cattle, Mr Bansal sternly asked the farmer, “Then why did you keep cattle here?”

Expressing his displeasure over this, Mr Eshwarappa told the DC to make arrangements for getting proper fodder. The DC said though he was making effort to get fodder from neighbouring districts, he was not getting adequate quantity.