A security guard and a caretaker look after the goats at Singh’s present official residence in Patna. Telegraph picture

Patna, Sept. 14: Animal and fish resources minister Giriraj Singh worries about birds and beasts not only in his official capacity. He cares for them at personal level. But these days, he is worried if his new house would be able to accommodate all the animals and birds of his personal menagerie.

At present, Singh resides at a sprawling bungalow on 2 Circular Road. But he will have to soon vacate it to allow Legislative Council chairman Tarakant Jha to move in, as it is earmarked for the latter.

The minister is worried that his new house on Netaji Road will not be able to accommodate the animals — 150 goats, 10 emus, 10 rabbits and five ducks — that he has raised in his official bungalow.

Singh told The Telegraph: “As this house is earmarked for the chairman of the Legislative Council, I will have to vacate it by next month. I will shift to my new accommodation on Netaji Road, near the house of Satyadeo Narayan Arya. But my only concern is that my new house does not have enough space to accommodate my animals.”

Sources said former chief ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi also faced a similar problem when they had to vacate 1 Aney Marg, the official residence of the chief minister. Rabri and her husband were worried that their new accommodation — 10 Circular Road — would not have enough space to accommodate the 100 cows they owned.

Singh moved into his present house soon after joining Nitish’s cabinet in 2008. Before him, the then acting chairman of the council, Arun Kumar, used to live there.

After moving in, Singh decorated the bungalow tastefully. He has planted exotic grass on the campus. He has also set up barricades on the premises to rear goats of which he owns different breeds, like Jamunapari, Sirohi and Barbari that have been brought from Uttar Pradesh. The emus have been brought from Maharashtra. The government staff and security guards of the house take care of the animals.

Singh added: “Before shifting to the new house, I will have to think of providing an alternative accommodation for the goats and the emus. I have reared them for the past three years and have taken special care of them. This is my passion. Most of the animals are of special breed and I have spent a lot of money on them. As the animal minister, it is my duty to set an example.”

Lalu moved his cows to Danapur. Maybe Singh could take a leaf out of the book of the RJD chief.