Jhabua honours 9 dairy farmers under Gopalkrishna Gram Puraskar scheme on Govardhan Puja

Govardhan Puja was observed on Monday at the Shri Krishna Go Seva Sadan in Charolipada, Jhabua, along with a felicitation ceremony for livestock keepers under the Gopalkrishna Gram Puraskar Yojana. The event was held on the directions of the Madhya Pradesh government and in line with the wishes of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, to promote cow promotion, cow protection and animal husbandry. Women and Child Development Minister Nirmala Bhuria was the chief guest, and Collector Dr Yogesh Tukaram Bharsat presided.

Minister Bhuria, Collector Bharsat, Superintendent of Police Devendra Patidar, district president Bhanu Bhuria and other guests began the programme by performing the Govardhan puja according to ritual. The guests worshipped the cows, fed them jaggery and gram, and gave a message of cow service and protection. Public representatives, officials and cow caretakers present also paid their respects to the cows.

Addressing the gathering, Bhuria said cows hold a special place in Indian culture, faith and Sanatan tradition. According to her, the festival of Govardhan Puja carries a message of the deep bond between nature, the environment, livestock and human life. She said that serving cows is not only a matter of religious faith but also a social responsibility and an important means of strengthening the village economy.

She said the state government, led by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, is working continuously for cow protection, cow promotion and the economic strength of livestock keepers. Several schemes are running to strengthen cow shelters, protect livestock, raise milk production and encourage livestock keepers. The Gopalkrishna Gram Puraskar Yojana is an important initiative in this direction, in which livestock keepers with the best milk production are honoured to inspire others.

The minister said Jhabua is a district with a rural economy that rests on farming and animal husbandry. Animal husbandry is a major source of livelihood for rural families here, especially in rural and tribal areas, where it brings families extra income. Special attention must therefore be paid to better animal husbandry, animal nutrition, health care and higher milk production. Rural families' economic condition can be strengthened further by linking them to modern technology and government schemes.

She congratulated the district's nine winning livestock keepers and said the honour was the result of their hard work and dedication. She said Chief Minister Dr Yadav's release of the prize money with a single click was an important step to raise livestock keepers' morale. She praised the contribution of cow caretakers and said community participation is needed for cow protection and better running of cow shelters. She appealed to all citizens to contribute actively to cow service and protection.

Collector Dr Bharsat said that, in line with the government's wishes, efforts are continuing in the district to promote cow protection, livestock development and milk production. He asked livestock keepers to make the most of government schemes and raise their income by adopting improved animal husbandry methods. He said the district administration is committed to better running of cow shelters and to the economic strength of livestock keepers.

Superintendent of Police Devendra Patidar said Govardhan Puja is an important festival of the country's cultural and religious traditions, strengthening the spirit of service, sensitivity and protection towards cows. According to him, the message of protecting nature and collective unity that Lord Shri Krishna gave by lifting Mount Govardhan still matters today. He stressed that all sections of society should take responsibility for cow protection and livestock, and he wished the honoured livestock keepers well.

District president Bhanu Bhuria said that under Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, the state is giving special encouragement to cow promotion and animal husbandry. He said the scheme would raise livestock keepers' morale and increase milk production and self-employment opportunities in rural areas. He congratulated the winners and appealed for greater participation in cow service and protection work.

The guests honoured the nine winning livestock keepers from the Vrindavan Gram villages chosen under the scheme, Kalyanpura, Naugawan and Raipuriya, with shawls, coconuts and certificates. On the occasion, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, from the state-level event, sent prize money totalling Rs 5.25 lakh to the winners' bank accounts with a single click.

Under the scheme, milk production contests were held on October 30 and 31, 2026 in the district's three chosen Vrindavan Gram villages. A total of 24 livestock keepers registered. Based on the quantity of milk produced daily, first, second and third place holders were chosen from each village. In each village, the first-place winner received Rs 1 lakh, the second Rs 50,000 and the third Rs 25,000.

In the contest at Raipuriya, the Vrindavan Gram in Assembly constituency number 195, Petlawad, 10 livestock keepers had registered. Jagdish, son of Mohanlal Patidar, came first with 9.04 litres of milk a day and received Rs 1 lakh. Durgesh, son of Nathu Singh Madod, was second with 8.78 litres and received Rs 50,000. Galiya, son of Sadiya Pandar, was third with 6.16 litres and received Rs 25,000. All three were also given a shawl, coconut and certificate.

In the contest at Kalyanpura, the Vrindavan Gram in Assembly constituency number 193, Jhabua, 7 livestock keepers had registered. Rudra Pratap Chauhan came first with 9.96 litres a day and received Rs 1 lakh. Raman Lal Parmar was second with 6.44 litres and received Rs 50,000. Hariom Panchal was third with 6.09 litres and received Rs 25,000. All three were also given a shawl, coconut and certificate.

In the contest at Naugawan, the Vrindavan Gram in Assembly constituency number 194, Thandla, 7 livestock keepers had also registered. Mahesh, son of Kiran Singh, came first with 7.86 litres a day and received Rs 1 lakh. Sonia, son of Nanji Bamania, was second with 6.46 litres and received Rs 50,000. Jai Singh, son of Vesta Parmar, was third with 6.06 litres and received Rs 25,000. All three were also given a shawl, coconut and certificate.

The programme also honoured the cow caretakers who look after the cows at the Shri Krishna Go Seva Sadan in Charolipada. Kundan, Rekha and Babu Singh were given a shawl and coconut by the guests. Their spirit of service was praised, with the caretakers' role in running the shelter, and caring for and protecting the cows, described as important.

Public representatives, Additional Collector C S Solanki, SDM Mahesh Kumar Mandloi, Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department Dr A S Diwakar, other officials and staff, cow shelter committee members, cow caretakers, livestock keepers and citizens were present.