Cow and calf new residents of Goa Raj Bhavan

Panaji, Nov 20: After building a cow shed in Raj Bhavan complex, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha is all set to welcome the first cow and calf to the plush grounds of the estate located on the outskirts of the capital.

On Wednesday, Sinha visited a cow shelter run by the Jai Sriram Gosanvardhan Kendra in remote Nanus village, around 50 km north of Panaji.

She also performed cow worship at the shelter and expressed a wish to adopt a cow and relocate it to Raj Bhavan, Laxman Joshi, a spokesperson for the shelter, told IANS Wednesday.

"We have identified an eight-year-old cow and her calf. They will be delivered at Raj Bhavan Thursday," Joshi said.

"During our conversation with the governor, she recalled how as a child she was used to the presence of cows near her home and drank milk from cows of local breed," Joshi said.

He said the cow selected for Raj Bhavan has not been named yet, but it is one of the 250 cattle being cared for at the shelter.

Joshi said Sinha also expressed her desire to worship the cow everyday at Raj Bhavan cow shelter.

Born in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, Sinha, a well-known litterateur, was appointed the governor of Goa in August, months after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power at the Centre.

The cow shelter has been actively promoting the cause of conservation of cows in Goa and demanding a ban on cattle slaughter in the state, where beef is a common dietary commodity.

IANS