Chhindwara | Pandhurna, Madhya Pradesh: The grand promises made by the Mohan government regarding the welfare of cows (*Gau Mata*) and cow shelters now appear far removed from the reality on the ground. While the Chief Minister garnered headlines by announcing an increase in the per-cow subsidy from ₹20 to ₹40, the situation on the ground is steadily deteriorating.

Cow shelters in the Chhindwara district have not received their subsidy funds for the past eight months. The situation is no different for cow shelters in the Pandhurna district, where subsidies have been pending for approximately five months. This is typically the season for stocking up on fodder and dry feed; however, due to the lack of necessary operational funds, cow shelter operators are facing severe distress.

Regarding the subsidies, cow shelter operators are constantly making rounds of the offices of the District Collector, the Animal Husbandry Department, and the District Panchayat. The officials invariably offer the same response: "The funds are on their way." Yet, no one is providing a clear explanation as to why the subsidy payments for cow shelters in the Chhindwara and Pandhurna districts are actually being withheld.

Sanjeev Raut, a cow-welfare volunteer (*Gausevak*) at the 'Matra Kripa Gaushala' in Tigaon-Kamath, stated that payments have been pending for eight months due to the negligence of officials within the Chhindwara Animal Husbandry Department. When questioned, officials cite various reasons—at times claiming a lack of approval from the District Collector, and at other times blaming the District Panchayat CEO or the Janpad Panchayat CEO for failing to forward the relevant files.

Eight months have elapsed amidst this bureaucratic stalling. The necessary stocks of fodder and dry feed cannot be procured, and the day-to-day operation of the cow shelters has become increasingly difficult. The entire system is gradually beginning to crumble. Due to similar delays in receiving subsidies, several cow shelters have already been forced to cease operations. Cow shelters cannot be sustained indefinitely solely through public donations; if the pending subsidies are not released soon, many more shelters may be forced to shut down permanently.