Gangtok, May 29: In a significant initiative for animal welfare and conservation in the Northeast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Mamring Gaushala from Bagdogra on Thursday. The facility, developed under the state plan at a cost of ₹17 crore, is located at Mamring, Amba GPU in Sikkim’s Pakyong district and spans 7.31 acres.

The Mamring Gaushala is the first of its kind in the entire Northeast region. It has been established to provide shelter to abandoned, rescued, and distressed animals, with a long-term vision of conserving indigenous breeds and promoting organic animal husbandry practices.

The Gaushala features eight animal sheds with the capacity to house up to 210 animals, along with quarantine and isolation units, a fully operational veterinary clinic, fodder storage, grazing paddocks, a carcass and post-mortem unit, and a designated burial ground.

To support animal nutrition, the facility has been enriched with improved fodder varieties including Congo signal grass, Narkat, Giant Napier, and Co-2, along with several tree fodder species. The site is equipped with advanced agricultural tools such as a power tiller, brush cutter, chaff cutter, and sensor-enabled massage brushes for animals.

Additional infrastructure includes solar-powered lighting, CCTV surveillance, and an SOP developed by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department for efficient facility management.

Alongside the Mamring Gaushala, the Prime Minister also inaugurated several key projects in Sikkim, including the new District Hospital in Namchi, the Swarna Jayanti Maitreya Manjari Project at Ridge Park in Gangtok, the Passenger Ropeway at Sangachoeling, Pelling, and the statue of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Atal Amrit Udhyan in Sangkhola.