Delhi Govt to set up 5th Gaushala under PPP model for stray cattle management

To strengthen stray cattle management in the national capital, the Delhi government on Friday announced plans to re-establish the city’s fifth cow shelter under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

According to an official document, the decision was announced following a high-level meeting convened by the Animal Husbandry Unit of the Department of Development at the Delhi Secretariat.

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Development Minister Kapil Mishra chaired the meeting, during which it was decided that the responsibility for establishing, operating, and maintaining the new Gaushala will be entrusted to a selected NGO, trust, foundation, or corporate entity through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process.

In 1994, five Gaushalas were set up in Delhi on land allotted to the Animal Husbandry Unit by the Panchayat Wing of the Development Department. However, one of them—run by the Acharya Sushil Muni Gaushala in Ghumanheda village—became non-functional due to violations of contractual terms and high cattle mortality. The government now plans to revive this shelter.

“The land will be allocated on the basis of a license deed, and the selected organization will bear all expenses related to construction, operation, and maintenance,” the Department stated. The chosen organization will be given one year to complete the construction, according to the official document.

The idea of running the cattle care centre through a self-sustaining model was also discussed during the meeting.

Explaining the proposed system, the Department said that all operations—including the care, feeding, health, and supervision of stray cattle housed in the shelter—will be managed by the private partner, while land ownership will remain with the Delhi government.

“No financial assistance will be provided by the Animal Husbandry Unit or the Development Department in this process,” the Department added.

The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner Shoorbir Singh, senior officials from the Animal Husbandry Unit, representatives from NGOs such as ISKCON, Gopal Gau Sadan, and several other social organizations and stakeholders.