Siddipet: Now, hostels for sheep

Siddipet: We have seen hostels for students and employees. Now there are hostels for sheep and other domestic animals? The brainchild of Finance Minister T Harish Rao, the hostels have already been established in Narmeta, Irkode, Jakkapur, Gangapur and Mittapally villages in Siddipet constituency while hostels in Akkanapally, Gatla Malyala, Pullu, Bussapur and Lakshmidevi Pallly will be ready soon.

Each of these hostels has 8 to 45 sheds depending on the number of sheep in the village. Each shed will hold up to 100 sheep. The hostels have power and water supply and rest room with fans and a television set for shepherds. While there is a provision to build sheds for cattle under MNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme), district officials put the provision to best use by getting some additional funds under Special Development Fund.

These hostels, being set up on village outskirts, are designed to serve several purposes. Shepherds can keep the sheep away from villages which would help villages remain hygienic and clean. The initiative would also restrict spread of infection since the villages would be free of sheep dung. Further the sheep could be protected from stray dogs and other wild animals as also from thieves. As the cleanliness is maintained there wouldn't be mosquito menace as well.

District Rural Development Oragnisation (DRDO) Project Director Ch Gopal Rao said shepherds were a bit hesitant initially but came forward voluntarily to keep their sheep in the hostels after seeing the facilities being provided. "These sheds will save their sheep from stray dogs, wild animals and also thieves during nights. Besides, shepherds have to necessarily stay in their home sheds during nights. In these hostels, only two or three shepherds would be required to stay on a rotational basis," he added. The administration would install CCTVs, provide solar power facilities, community soak pits and good rest rooms for shepherds at the hostels. Such hostels will be soon built for cattle too. More and more shepherds, after seeing the benefits of the initiative are coming forward to take part in the novel initiative. Representatives from other states are visiting Siddipet to learn about the initiative.