Madhya Pradesh rewards 466 livestock farmers with ₹2.95 crore

BHOPAL, November 9 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday transferred ₹2.95 crore in prize money to 466 livestock farmers selected under the Gopal-Krishna Gram Award Scheme 2026-27. The awards were presented during a state-level Govardhan Puja celebration and livestock farmers’ felicitation ceremony at Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal. Under the scheme, farmers received first, second and third prizes of ₹1 lakh, ₹50,000 and ₹25,000, respectively. The winners were selected through a milk production competition conducted from October 27 to 31 across 208 designated Vrindavan villages in the state. The Chief Minister also released ₹65.66 crore in grants for maintaining more than 5.51 lakh cattle housed in over 3,000 registered gaushalas across Madhya Pradesh. He announced that financial assistance for cattle upkeep had been increased from ₹20 to ₹40 per cow to improve animal care and ensure adequate nutritious fodder. Addressing the gathering, Yadav highlighted the importance of cattle protection and the economic welfare of livestock farmers. He said the government was strengthening dairy cooperatives under the White Revolution 2.0 initiative, aiming to make Madhya Pradesh the country's milk capital within two years. The state has set a target of increasing daily milk collection capacity from 12 lakh kg to 52 lakh kg. He also encouraged farmers to rear improved cattle breeds, particularly Gir and Sahiwal cows, to increase milk production. On the occasion, cow protection workers and gaushala operators were honoured for their contributions to animal welfare. Yadav had earlier performed Govardhan Puja at his official residence in Bhopal.