Uttarakhand is set to get a cow pilgrimage centre or gau teerth soon. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat is learnt to have given his go-ahead for setting up of such a centre at Katarpur village in Haridwar on the suggestion of the RSS.

“Efforts for cow protection, including freeing grazing land for cows that have been encroached upon, reopening closed cow shelters, and increasing budget for cow protection were discussed at the meeting (held earlier this week) along with the construction of a cow memorial in Katarpur,” said L P Jayswal, who is the Kshetra samajik samrasta sanyojak with the RSS.

Jayswal said Kartarpur village was where many Hindus had laid down their lives while protesting against killings of cows way back in 1918.

“In 1918, at least four Hindus were hanged to death, and about 130 were sent to the Kala Pani prison [in Andaman and Nicobar Islands] by the British for opposing cow killings in the village,” Jayswal said, adding developing the village into a gau teerth would also include the construction of a cow memorial in the village, and organising fairs around cow protection.

While confirming that CM Rawat has agreed to set up the cow protection centre, Jayswal, however, said there was no discussion on when the work on the centre would start.