An audit report reveals a ₹57.36 crore grant irregularity by 38 Gaushalas in Rajasthan, with allegations of claiming funds for dead or absent cattle.
Suspicions of a major scam have emerged regarding government grants for cattle conservation in Rajasthan. The audit report by the Accountant General (Audit Team) has raised serious questions about the functioning of several gaushalas in the state.
The report reveals that 38 gaushalas allegedly received government grants even for cattle that were dead, absent, or not verified in the records.
During the investigation, a significant discrepancy was found in the count of approximately 1.31 lakh cattle. Based on this error, the report shockingly mentions an excess payment of ₹57.36 crore.
After this matter came to light, serious questions have been raised about the monitoring and verification process of grants given to gaushalas.
The list also includes the names of seven gaushalas from the Jalore district, which are accused of receiving a total excess payment of ₹16.15 crore. Among them, the name of Shri Gopal Govardhan Gaushala, Pathmeda, has prominently emerged.
According to the audit report, the Pathmeda gaushala alone is said to have been issued an additional grant of about ₹10.95 crore. Besides this, the names of other gaushalas in the district, including Shri Kheteshwar Gaushala, Khirodi, are also recorded in the investigation report.
The report states that in many cases, the details of the cattle did not match the records on the 'Bharat Pashudhan App' and the tag records.
The tags of many animals were not registered, while some tags were found to be inactive. Furthermore, information about many dead animals was not updated on the portal in a timely manner.
Despite all these irregularities, the payment of grants at the rate of ₹40 per day for large cattle and ₹20 per day for small cattle continued unabated.
Following the revelations of the audit report, the Gopalan Directorate has sprung into action. On May 29, 2026, the department issued notices to all 38 gaushalas, instructing them to deposit the excess amount back.
The department has also clarified that if the amount is not deposited within the stipulated time, the future financial and administrative approvals of the concerned institutions could be affected. However, no public reaction has yet come from the concerned gaushalas or their operators on this matter.
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