Free cattle on Anna birth anniversary

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will fulfil yet another poll promise - distribution of milch cows and goats to the needy - on the birth anniversary of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C N Annadurai on September 15. The move will pave the way for another White Revolution in Tamil Nadu,  Jayalalithaa said, adding that 60,000 milch cows of Jersey breed and 21 lakh goats would be given to the poor under the scheme. In the first phase, 1,600 milch cows and 1,600 goats would be given on September 15.Under the scheme, cows would be given to the poor living in villages where milk producers cooperative societies are not functioning.The beneficiaries of the scheme would be selected by the village panchayats and  30 per cent of them would be drawn from the Adi Dravida community.To ensure the satisfaction of the beneficiaries, the government will send its officials along with them to procure cattle from the neighbouring States. Besides, the government will also bear the transportation cost and insure them.Identification marks will be made on these cows.  In the coming years, cattle farms in Tamil Nadu will be strengthened to produce such high breeds.As far as distribution of goats is concerned, seven lakh poverty-stricken families in rural areas would be given four goats each in the next five years.Here too, the beneficiaries will be selected by the village panchayats.The Chief Minister also said that she had directed the officials to evolve a scheme to provide green fodder for cattle.