Himachal CM Sukhu meets Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; discusses natural farming, stray cattle welfare
Bengaluru, May 20
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met renowned spiritual Guru and founder of Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Bengaluru on Wednesday and sought his blessings during a visit to the Ashram.
According to an official statement, the Chief Minister also interacted with people from Himachal Pradesh working at the Ashram, enquired about their well-being, and participated in Gau Seva.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar held detailed discussions on promoting natural farming and ensuring the protection and welfare of stray cattle in Himachal Pradesh.
CM Sukhvinder Sukhu said that the state government is actively encouraging farmers across the state to adopt natural farming practices. He said the government is providing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops grown through natural farming methods, which is benefiting both farmers and consumers by ensuring better returns and promoting chemical-free produce.
The Chief Minister further stated that under the Gopal Yojana, the state government has increased financial assistance for stray cattle housed in private cow shelters from Rs 700 to Rs 1,200 per cattle per month. He said that several new measures for the rehabilitation and welfare of stray cattle have also been included in the State Budget 2026-27.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has established several large cow shelters and cow sanctuaries in recent years. He said that reputed voluntary organisations, NGOs and interested industrial groups will also be allowed to adopt government-run cow shelters and cow sanctuaries to further strengthen cattle welfare initiatives.
According to the statement, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar appreciated the efforts of the Himachal Pradesh Government towards promoting natural farming and improving the protection and welfare of cattle in the state.
— ANI
Reader Comments
MSP for naturally farmed crops is a game-changer! Finally some policy that actually supports farmers who want to go organic. And increasing the support for cow shelters from Rs 700 to Rs 1,200 is very welcome. The stray cattle problem in Himachal is real, especially in tourist areas.
Good to see politicians engaging with spiritual leaders for policy discussions. But I hope these are not just photo-ops. The real test will be implementation on the ground. Let's see how many new cow sanctuaries actually get built and how many farmers truly benefit from the MSP scheme. 🤔
Sri Sri ji always spreading positivity! Natural farming is the need of the hour for our environment and health. Himachal should become a model state for chemical-free farming. Ab baaki states bhi inspire hongi. 🐄🌱
This is exactly the kind of collaboration we need - using traditional wisdom and modern governance together. The Gopal Yojana increase is substantial. But I hope the government also focuses on the dairy farmers who are struggling because of these very stray cattle eating their crops. Need a balanced approach.
Sirji ne gau seva bhi kiya! 🙏 Yehi toh asli leadership hai - dharmik aur vyavharik dono pe dhyan dena. Natural farming se hamare kisaan bhi khush, aur gaiyon ka bhi kalyan. Himachal tourism bhi boost hoga jab log dekhenge ki clean, organic state hai.
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