On August 6, 2019, the UP government approved a bizarre scheme. The theme of this scheme “Mukhyamantri Nirashrit Besahara Govansh Sahbhagita Yojana” is to protect the stray cows, and the state government of UP is likely to pay ₹30 per cow on a daily basis to the stray cow protectors. Instead of focusing on development of skilful employment in the state, the government is playing another political card to appease the principles of Hindutva and cow politics. When the national average rate of unemployment stands lower than the unemployment rate of UP alone, the Yogi government needs to rethink its ‘socio-economic’ priorities.
Back in 2017, the UP government commenced ambulance services and toll-free helpline for cow related services, the latest scheme is likely to introduce ‘cobra effect’ in its economics on cows. The cobra effect, as a type of unintended consequence, occurs when an attempted solution to a problem makes the problem worse. According to Wikipedia, the term cobra effect originated in an anecdote, set at the time of British rule of colonial India. The British government was concerned about the number of venomous cobra snakes in Delhi. The government therefore offered a bounty for every dead cobra.
Initially, this was a successful strategy as large numbers of snakes were killed for the reward. Eventually, however, enterprising people began to breed cobras for the income. When the government became aware of this, the reward program was scrapped, causing the cobra breeders to set the now-worthless snakes free. As a result, the wild cobra population further increased. The apparent solution for the problem made the situation even worse.
On the same principle, this cow protection scheme is likely to beget the cobra effect. The scheme will cost taxpayers around ₹110 crore, in its first phase, for handling 1 lakh stray cows. The second phase will beget inflationary pressure on the budget thereon. The 2012 Census anticipates stray cows’ population at 10-15 lakh. Despite of 523 registered ‘gaushalas’ (cow shelters) in the state, the population of stray cows escalated.
On knowledge of this scheme, considering the economic nature of the cobra effect, with the intent to multiply ‘easy profits’ on individual level, people are likely to permit more breeding opportunities of the stray cows at the expense of skilful employment. To some, it may even seem that the scheme unknowingly facilitates ‘selective compassion’ for stray cows than other stray animals.