Hyderabad: The Government of Telangana has launched the Goshala Ecosystem Development Policy 2025, an initiative aimed at revolutionising cattle shelter management by integrating animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and rural economic development. Issued on Tuesday, the policy addresses long-standing challenges such as overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and financial instability in goshalas, where feed costs alone consume over 80 per cent of budgets. It proposes a strategic shift from urban to rural operations, converting city-based goshalas into short-term collection centres and establishing large satellite goshalas in rural areas. Each 500-animal facility is expected to generate Rs 2–2.5 crore annually, create 30–40 direct jobs, and support 75–100 indirect livelihoods.

Central to the policy is the formation of the Telangana State Goshala Welfare Board, a statutory body responsible for registration, monitoring, and support. Financial sustainability will be achieved through a mix of government grants, CSR funding, and self-generated revenue. Goshalas will produce panchgavya-based fertilisers and bio-pesticides, biogas, solar energy, and other value-added products marketed under the unified “Telangana Gau Amrit” brand.

Operational standards include mandatory registration, space norms (40 sq ft per adult animal), biogas plants for facilities with over 50 animals, and mobile veterinary units. A digital tracking system will assign unique IDs to each animal for real-time health and compliance monitoring. The policy also supports agriculture by offering subsidised organic inputs that reduce costs by 15–20 per cent and boost yields by 10–12 per cent, saving farmers Rs 5,000–Rs 8,000 per hectare annually. Women’s empowerment is a key focus, with half of the manufacturing roles reserved for women and exclusive marketing rights for select product categories.Implementation will span 36 months in three phases: institutional setup, infrastructure development, and statewide scaling. Corporate participation is encouraged through adoption programmes and infrastructure projects, backed by tax incentives and public recognition.