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Some people are shocked on hearing `om` or cow: PM Modi in Mathura
`Some people are shocked to hear Om and gau (cow). They imagine that the country is back in the 16th Century. Such a thought has ruined the country. These people don`t understand what cattle-rearing means and how it contributes to the economy,` PM Modi said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Mathura on Wednesday to launch certain welfare programmes for livestock, took a sharp dig at critics and said that some people get shocked the moment they hear the words 'om' and 'gau' (cow).
"Some people are shocked to hear Om and gau (cow). They imagine that the country is back in the 16th Century. Such a thought has ruined the country. These people don't understand what cattle-rearing means and how it contributes to the economy," PM Modi said.
In Mathura, the Prime Minister launched the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) for eradicating foot and mouth disease and Brucellosis in livestock and also launched a slew of welfare schemes for farmers.
The programme aims at vaccinating over 500 million livestock including cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs against the disease. It will be implemented for a period of five years till 2024 at a cost of Rs 12,652 crore.
Meanwhile, taking forward his pledge to phase out single-use plastic, PM Modi exhorted Indians to get their homes and offices rid of single-use plastic, before Gandhi Jayanti (October 2).
" Waste to Wealth is what is going to protect our environment. I request you to carry a cloth or a jute bag while going for shopping. I urge traders to use very less plastic for packaging," he said.
At the event, PM Modi also interacted with a number of waste collectors. He also sat down with them to tell them about the importance of segregating plastic from waste so that it doesn't end up in the stomachs of bovines. He also inspected a machine facility that will recycle waste.
(With IANS inputs)