Dairy sector in Himachal Pradesh will be strengthened under National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), in a big way said Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in a meeting with Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairy, Parshottam Rupala at New Delhi today.
He urged the Union Minister for a dairy project for the state in which components of chilling, transportation and dairy products were available.
Chilling points would be set up at cluster level in villages for collection and storing milk from the farmers and thereafter it will be transported through refrigerated milk vans to the Mother plant at district levels, said Sh. Sukhu.
Emphasis will be laid for making milk products so as to ensure better price to the farmers. To learn cooperative mechanism skills, the State will facilitate exposure visits of the farmers to Gujarat. In India, dairying is recognized as an instrument for social and economic development.
"The process of procurement, processing, and marketing of milk and milk products through the State implementing agency or State co-operative dairy producer's societies will be strengthened" said Sh. Sukhu, adding that Animal husbandry and dairying play significant and integral role in strengthening the rural economy.
The Union Minister has assured for funding the project as soon as the detailed project report is received in the Ministry, said the Chief Minister. Chief Minister also requested for releasing the pending amount of about Rs. 15 crore to the state on account of LiveStock Insurance scheme.
Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Sanjay Awasthi, Political Adviser to Chief Minister, Sunil Sharma, OSD to Chief Minister, K.S Banshtu, Resident Commissioner, Meera Mohanty, Principal Private Secretary to CM, Vivek Bhatia were also present in the meeting.