cattle shelterRAIPUR: A day after nine cattle were killed in a highway accident in Bilaspur, the Chhattisgarh govt on Wednesday announced an ambitious plan to set up 1,460 gaudhams across the state to shelter stray cattle and reduce their presence on roads.The announcement also comes against the backdrop of the Chhattisgarh high court's repeated scoldings to the state govt and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over the growing menace of stray cattle on highways and the rising number of road accidents involving them.Chhattisgarh already has an extensive network of gauthans created under the previous Congress govt's Godhan Nyay Yojana. The new scheme seeks to leverage that infrastructure by converting selected gauthans into dedicated to sheltering stray cattle, with priority being given to facilities located near national highways.Under the Gaudham Yojana, the govt plans to develop 10 existing gauthans in every development block into dedicated cattle shelters. Of the 408 applications received so far, administrative approval has been granted to 151 projects, while 88 gaudhams have been registered. At present, 42 operational gaudhams are housing over 5,100 stray cattle.Officials said the first phase will prioritise gauthans located along national highways and equipped with the required infrastructure, a move aimed at preventing cattle from straying onto busy roads. The shelters will be operated through NGOs, registered gaushalas, farmer producer organisations, trusts and, following recent amendments to the rules, gram panchayats, which will now get preference in running the facilities. Urban gauthans have also been brought under the scheme.The state govt said the proposal is intended to strengthen cattle conservation while supporting the rural economy. Applications from districts for setting up additional gaudhams are continuing to pour in, officials said.