Chandigarh, Feb. 11 -- Already reeling under severe fund crunch, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) is now short of cow cess revenue, which has proved to be a stumbling block in cow welfare as expenditure incurred for the upkeep of gaushalas is more than the earnings. The revenue is expected to drop further in the current financial year.

Informing mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla of the financial constraints faced by the MC due to a drastic reduction in cow cess revenue, medical officer of health (MOH) Dr Inderdeep Kaur stated that the civic body received Rs.20.25 crore from the excise department in the financial year 2022-23, and this amount dropped significantly to Rs.5.78 crore in 2023-24 and is expected to further decline to Rs.2.89 ...