Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday, 20 July announced that 820 e-rickshaws will be distributed across the state's 770 gaushalas to support livestock care and management, as part of a broader drive to make these cattle shelters financially self-reliant. The high-powered purchase committee, chaired by the Chief Minister in Chandigarh, approved the procurement at an estimated cost of ₹10.25 crore.

How the E-Rickshaw Scheme Works

Under the allocation formula, gaushalas housing up to 1,000 cattle will receive one e-rickshaw, while those with more than 1,000 cattle will be provided two e-rickshaws. Of Haryana's 770 gaushalas, 553 house fewer than 1,000 cattle. The remaining shelters range in size: 79 accommodate up to 2,000 cattle, 20 house up to 3,000, eight up to 4,000, and one gaushala each holds up to 5,000 and 6,000 cattle respectively.

The e-rickshaws are intended to ease the day-to-day movement and management of livestock within these shelters, reducing operational costs and dependence on manual labour — a step that officials say will directly improve the financial sustainability of gaushalas.

Other Infrastructure Projects Cleared

The same committee meeting approved a series of urban infrastructure projects across Haryana. In Kaithal, the Chief Minister cleared the laying of sewer lines in various city colonies at an estimated ₹12.87 crore — a project designed to serve the city's population through to the year 2042. Approval was also granted for the upgradation of the Water Sewerage Treatment Plant and construction of an RCC tank at Khedar, valued at ₹27.70 crore.

In Faridabad, the committee sanctioned the installation of five Ranney wells, each with a capacity of 10 million litres per day (MLD), in waterlogged areas along the Yamuna river near Manjhawali and Mothuka villages, at an estimated cost of ₹164.75 crore. Water drawn from these wells will be tested for suitability as a drinking water source before use, according to the government.

Gurugram Waterworks Expansion

The committee also approved the construction of a second 1,000 MLD capacity waterworks at Basai village under the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), at an estimated cost of ₹149 crore. The project is aimed at meeting the growing water demand of one of India's fastest-expanding urban corridors.

Savings and Accountability Directive

The meeting also noted that development works worth ₹380.40 crore were tendered at ₹363.82 crore, generating savings of approximately ₹16.58 crore. Chief Minister Saini directed officials that no delay or negligence in project execution would be tolerated, and instructed that all works be completed within their stipulated time frames.

Taken together, the approvals signal a push by the Haryana government to simultaneously address rural animal welfare infrastructure and urban civic needs — with the next phase of implementation expected to begin in the coming weeks.