Maharashtra Government on Monday declared desi (indigenous) cows as 'Rajyamata-Gomata' considering factors like their significance since Vedic period, an official notification said.

The other factors include the importance of indigenous cow milk in human nutrition, ayurvedic and panchgavya treatment and use of cow manure in organic farming, the government resolution, issued by the state Agriculture, Dairy Development, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department said.

The decision, which comes ahead of the state assembly elections, underscores the cow's spiritual, scientific, and historical significance in Indian society, an official said. It highlights the integral role that cows have played in India's cultural landscape for centuries, he added.

By taking this decision, the state government has underscored the agricultural benefits of cow dung, which enhances soil fertility and contributes to human nutrition and shows the government’s efforts to promote sustainable farming practices, he said.

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