Hyderabad: Though Gosamrakshna (protection of cows) is not its responsibility, the endowments department has being doing it on humanitarian grounds, endowments minister C Ramachandraiah has said.

The minister, who reviewed the recent deaths of cows and calves at the Gosala of Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam and the situation at other temples in the state, at a meeting with officials here on Friday, said necessary measures were being taken to address the issue.

Speaking to media persons later, Ramachandraiah termed the deaths of cows and calves at the Gosala of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam during the recent annual Chandanotsavam were very unfortunate. ‘’It happened due to accommodating a large number of the cattle in a small place. The capacity of the Simhachalam temple gosala was between 150 and 200 but during Chandanotsavam, with several people leaving their bovine offerings, about 850 cows and calves were squeezed in the small place. Due to suffocation, some of them died,’’ he explained.

To ensure that such incidents do not recur, the capacity of the Simhachalam temple gosala will be increased to 1,000 cattle. Besides, a 30-acre land will be acquired to cultivate fodder for the animals. If any voluntary organisation comes forward to take care of the cows and gosalas, they will be given the responsibility.

‘’We are constituting an expert committee to assess the capabilities and check the background of such organisations before taking any decision to hand over them the cattle offered to devasthanams,’’ he said.

Most probably, such organisations will be given the responsibility of looking after animals in excess of the capacity of the gosalas. Already, the Bharatiya Go Seva Samiti has come forward to take over the Simhachalam gosala. However, the proposal is still being studied.

Ramachandraiah said the department was also making efforts to involve the animal husbandry department to take care of the cattle in temple gosalas and set up gosalas in districts where there are no cowsheds. Further, it was being contemplated to replicate the Gosamrakshana Scheme adopted by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) at other temples, the minister said.