New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged alleged financial irregularities worth ₹57.36 crore in Rajasthan’s cow protection grant scheme, revealing that 38 gaushalas allegedly inflated cattle numbers to obtain excess government subsidies. According to the audit report, grants were also allegedly released in the names of cattle that had died, were not present in the shelters during the claim period, or did not have valid identification tags.
The CAG report stated that the concerned gaushalas collectively reported approximately 1.31 lakh more cattle than were actually present, resulting in the release of excess grants for fodder and water subsidies. The audit found significant discrepancies between the daily cattle registers maintained by the gaushalas and data available on the Bharat Pashudhan application. Despite these mismatches, grants continued to be sanctioned without adequate verification.
According to the report, subsidies were allegedly released in several cases for cattle that had already died or were not housed in the respective gaushalas during the period for which financial assistance was claimed. Payments were also reportedly made for cattle with invalid, inactive or unregistered identification tags. Under the scheme, gaushalas receive ₹40 per day for adult cattle and ₹20 per day for calves.
The audit identified several prominent gaushalas among those where alleged irregularities were detected. According to the report, Pinjrapole Gaushala in Jaipur allegedly received excess grants of approximately ₹1.81 crore, while Hingonia Gaushala allegedly received around ₹1.41 crore in additional funds.
The largest alleged discrepancy was reported at Shri Braj Kamad Surabhi Van Research Institute Gaushala in Deeg district, which allegedly received excess grants of approximately ₹16.36 crore. The report also stated that Shri Gopal Govardhan Gaushala at Pathmeda in Jalore district allegedly received around ₹10.95 crore in excess grants. It further identified three gaushalas in Bharatpur district and six in Sikar district among those where similar irregularities were observed.
Following the audit findings, the Rajasthan Gopalan Department initiated recovery proceedings and directed the concerned 38 gaushalas to refund the alleged excess amount of ₹57.36 crore. On May 29, 2026, the Directorate of Gopalan issued notices instructing the gaushalas to deposit the excess funds within the prescribed period. The notices warned that failure to comply could result in the suspension of future administrative and financial approvals.
However, despite repeated recovery notices, a substantial portion of the amount has reportedly not yet been recovered.
The gaushala operators have denied allegations of deliberate fraud, maintaining that the discrepancies were caused by documentation and record-keeping issues rather than intentional submission of false claims. They said the matter is currently under examination by an inquiry committee.
The audit findings have raised serious questions about the verification mechanism used for disbursing government grants, the accuracy of beneficiary records, and the monitoring of digital livestock databases. The concerned authorities are now examining the audit observations, pursuing recovery of the alleged excess payments, and determining accountability. Further administrative and legal action will be taken based on the outcome of the ongoing proceedings.
