UP Sahbhagita Yojana 2026 | Mukhyamantri Nirashrit Govansh Yojana | Rs. 1,500 Per Month for Adopting Stray Cattle

गाय पालने के लिए सरकारी योजना | मुख्यमंत्री निराश्रित/बेसहारा गोवंश सहभागिता योजना: Uttar Pradesh government is running UP Sahbhagita Yojana or Mukhyamantri Nirashrit Govansh Sahbhagita Yojana, under which any willing person can take a stray cow home from a government shelter and get a monthly amount for its upkeep. From February 2025, the daily maintenance amount was raised from Rs 30 to Rs 50 per cow, so a family caring for one cow now gets Rs 1,500 every month, instead of the earlier Rs 900.

Each person can adopt up to 4 cows under this scheme, so a family looking after 4 animals can get close to Rs 6,000 every month, credited directly to the bank account. As per the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Department, more than 1.62 lakh destitute cows have already been handed over to over 1.05 lakh beneficiaries so far, and over 12 lakh stray cattle are being cared for in more than 7,700 cow shelters across the state.

Stray cattle roaming free in fields have been a long-standing problem in rural Uttar Pradesh. Back in 2019, farmers had protested and even locked stray cattle inside government schools and offices after the ban on illegal cattle slaughter led to more abandoned animals on the streets. To deal with this, the state government opened new cow shelters in every district and started paying an upkeep amount for each animal kept there.

Since shelters kept filling up beyond capacity, with cows sometimes dying due to neglect, the Yogi Adityanath government approved this participation scheme so that willing farmers, dairy owners and common citizens could take a cow home directly from a shelter instead of it staying inside an overcrowded gaushala.

UP Sahbhagita Yojana 2026 - Mukhyamantri Nirashrit Govansh Sahbhagita Yojana

On Gopashtami in November 2020, Yogi Adityanath had handed over cows to 11 families with malnourished children under this same scheme, calling it a way to protect cows while also helping undernourished children through dairy income at home. Officials also refer to it as निराश्रित/बेसहारा गोवंश सहभागिता योजना in Hindi, and it is still run by the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Department in 2026.

Rs 1,500 Monthly Allowance Under Sahbhagita Yojana

Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Dharampal Singh announced the hike in daily allowance from Rs 30 to Rs 50 per cow in February 2025, after a review meeting on the scheme. The decision was taken to support cow welfare and give better income to families who adopt stray cattle. For 4 cows, this works out to around Rs 6,000 every month. Along with this, the department is also setting up vermicompost units at shelters and installing radium belts and CCTV cameras for animal safety.

CM Destitute Cow Participation Scheme Implementation

As many as 1,62,625 destitute cows have been given out under the scheme so far, spread across 1,05,139 families. During an earlier programme at a cow shelter in Mirzapur, CM Adityanath had said the scheme was part of the process of building a better future for society. "The scheme is part of the process of brightening the future of society as well as the nation. All destitute cows will be brought to cow shelters, and if any farmer is willing to keep a cow, he will get maintenance charges every month. The system will also be reviewed regularly," he had said.

Who Can Apply for Nirashrit Govansh Sahbhagita Yojana

Permanent residents of Uttar Pradesh who can look after a cow properly, with enough space and arrangement for food, water and medical care, can apply under this scheme. Farmers, dairy owners, self-help groups and even individuals with no prior cattle-rearing background are considered, subject to the following conditions:

• Applicant should be a permanent resident of the local development block and should continue to stay there while keeping the cow.
• Applicant should have prior experience of looking after animals, or proper arrangements at home to feed and take care of cattle.
• Only 4 cows are given to one applicant, and if a cow already has a calf, both are counted as 2 animals together.
• Applicant must have a bank account in their own name, since the monthly amount is sent through direct bank transfer.
• Families with malnourished children are given priority while allotting cows under this scheme.
• People already trained in animal care, or those linked to a dairy cooperative, are also given priority.
• Application has to be submitted with identity proof, such as Aadhaar card, voter ID or ration card, along with a photocopy of the bank passbook, to the district Animal Husbandry officer or gaushala in-charge.
• If a person sells, abandons or lets the adopted cow loose, they can be removed from the scheme and the department can take back the animal.

Farmers applying for this scheme can also complete their UP farmer registration separately, since that helps in staying eligible for other central and state farm welfare schemes too.

How to Register for Cow Adoption

STEP 1 - Visit the nearby government cow shelter (gaushala) in the block or district, or contact the district Animal Husbandry office directly to ask about cow adoption under this scheme.

STEP 2 - Submit a written application along with identity proof (Aadhaar card, voter ID or ration card) and a photocopy of the bank passbook of the account where the monthly amount should be sent.

STEP 3 - Once the district committee verifies the application and the applicant's home arrangements, a cow is handed over and ear-tagged for identification and future monitoring.

STEP 4 - After the cow is handed over, the shelter records the details in the Goashray management system, and the monthly maintenance amount starts coming into the applicant's bank account. Details of gaushalas and government orders on this scheme are also available on animalhusb.upsdc.gov.in and up.goashray.in.

Benefits of Yogi Adityanath Stray Cattle Scheme

This scheme gives families a regular monthly amount and also helps reduce the number of stray cattle roaming villages and damaging farms. Along with the money, adopting a cow under this scheme brings the following advantages:

• Families that adopt cattle get a fixed monthly amount of Rs 1,500 per cow directly in their bank account, which supports household income.
• Ear-tagging of every adopted animal reduces chances of fraud, since each cow can be tracked back to its adopter.
• Fewer stray cattle on roads also means fewer road accidents caused by cattle wandering at night.
• A block, district-level and state-level committee monitors the scheme regularly, and the district magistrate's office keeps records updated.
• Farmers whose fields were earlier damaged by stray cattle benefit as well, since animals move into proper care instead of roaming free.

FAQ's

How much money is given for adopting a cow under Sahbhagita Yojana in 2026?

Since February 2025, the government pays Rs 50 per day, or Rs 1,500 per month, for every adopted cow. Earlier this amount was Rs 30 per day, or Rs 900 per month.

How many cows can one family adopt?

One applicant can adopt up to 4 cows, which means the total monthly amount for a family caring for 4 cows comes to around Rs 6,000.

Is UP Sahbhagita Yojana still active in 2026?

Yes. Over 1.62 lakh cows have already been given to more than 1.05 lakh families, and the scheme continues to run through district Animal Husbandry offices and gaushalas across Uttar Pradesh in 2026.

Where can eligible people apply for this scheme?

Application is offline, through the nearest government cow shelter or the district Animal Husbandry office, along with identity proof and a bank passbook copy. Scheme details are also listed on animalhusb.upsdc.gov.in and up.goashray.in.

What happens if the adopted cow is sold or abandoned again?

Selling, abandoning or letting loose an adopted cow goes against the scheme rules. The department can take back the animal and remove that person from the scheme.

Source / Reference Link: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/up-cm-gives-cows-to-11-families-with-malnourished-children-on-gopashtami20201122231304/