Giving these details during question hour, Health Minister A.K. Walia said that on an average more than 10,000 cows have been dying every year in the eight go-sadans in Delhi.

According to him, the maximum number of deaths took place in three such go-sadanss, in one of which, 2,291 cows died due to disease in January this year alone.

Walia flayed the former BJP government for hypocrisy in the name of religion, as under its nose, cows, the symbol of Hinduism, were dying due to the pathetic conditions in go-sadans.

In another important announcement, Delhi Labour Minister Krishna Tirath today released two installments of additional Dearness Allowance, amounting to Rs 411 per month, to employees who are part of scheduled employments under the Minimum Wages Act. The minimum rates of wages for unskilled workers will now go up from Rs 1,937 to Rs 2,348; for semi-skilled they will go up from Rs 2,103 to Rs 2,514 and for skilled workers from Rs 2,361 to Rs 2,772. The corresponding daily wage rates are Rs 90.30, Rs 96.70 and Rs 106.60, respectively.

The minimum wages for clerical and non-technical supervisory staff have also been increased.

Tirath appealed to employers to voluntarily pay the statutory rates to workers. She warned that action would be initiated against the employers found paying wages less than those announced.

The Labour Department of the Delhi government has conferred powers of authority under the minimum wages act upon the Labour Commissioner, Joint Labour Commissioner and Deputy Labour Commissioner. Workmen who are not paid the statutory minimum rates of wages have been asked to file claims before these authorities.

According to Finance Minister Mahinder Singh Saathi, Gurudwara elections will be held on November 10.