KCR plans Milk Revolution Scheme in state—Accepts demands of dairy farmers

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday announced that very soon a comprehensive scheme for the development of dairy sector will be launched in the State to make it a “Ksheera Viplavam (Milk Revolution) in which Milk Producers (Dairy Farmers) from the Vijaya Dairy Development Society, Mulkanur Dairy Development Society, Nalgonda and Rangareddy Districts Dairy Development Societies and Karimnagar will be given top priority in the schemes to be announced.

As a prelude to the proposed Milk Revolution to be launched soon, the Chief Minister has accepted the demand of the other Dairy farmers of the Societies to give them Rs 4 per Litre as an incentive as is done in the case of the dairy farmers of the Vijaya Dairy. The Chief Minister has also announced that the government through Dairy Development Societies would provide 50 percent subsidy for buying a Buffalo by the farmer and the subsidy would be 75 percent if the Dairy farmers happen to be from the SC/ST community. In return, the CM has asked for a favour that every farmer should plant six saplings in their house and name each sapling after one of their family members and take care of the plants by watering regularly. To this, the gathering of over eight thousand dairy farmers responded positively by giving a thunderous applause.

The CM assured that the Rs 4 per Litre incentive will be implemented from September 24 onwards and the distribution of Buffaloes will commence after two months. As is done in case of Sheep distribution, the beneficiaries themselves will identify and buy the Buffaloes and subsidy will be routed through the Dairy Development Societies.

The CM has addressed a meeting of the members of the Vijaya, Mulkanur, and Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy District Dairy development societies at Pragati Bhavan lawns. In his address to the dairy farmers, the CM made it like an interactive session often asking them questions and eliciting their response.

Referring to the milk production in the State, the CM said that all the three Dairy Development Societies put together are producing just about seven Lakh Liters of Milk as of now. Karnataka State is supplying six Lakh Litres, AP, four Lakh Litres, and Gujarat two Lakh Litres to the Telangana State. The milk being produced in Telangana state is a very small percentage when compared to the demand of one Crore Litres. It is in this context, the CM said there is a need to have a major programme in the milk production and marketing to the level of another Milk revolution, Kesheera Viplavam or Pala Velluva (Flood of Milk) in the State. He said that he would personally formulate the scheme and assured that dairy farmers from the three Dairy Development Societies will be given top priority,” the CM said.

The CM spoke on how, after formation of the state, the government had been taking measure after measure benefitting the people and welfare of all sections of the people. He also recalled how the government started schemes initially to bring the poorest of the poor from the clutches of poverty, be it Single women pension, Asara pensions, schemes for the most backward classes etc., He said the schemes and programmes are initiated one by one, taking up each and every sector in the society.

Recalling how the state government has planned to improve each and every sector in the State with innovative but practical schemes and programmes, the CM said though there are 35 Lakhs Yadavs and Kurumas in the State, the state was importing meat from other states. “Though there were 40 lakh Mudiraj and Bestha families in the State, daily about 40 truck loads of fish is being imported to the State. Only Hyderabad city is importing 650 truckloads of Sheep. This is the reason why we have launched and implementing Sheep Distribution Schemes for Yadavs and Kurumas at a cost of Rs 4000 Crore. Similarly, we are implementing distribution of fish links to Mudiraj and Bestha families. The aim is to make the State self-sufficient in its demand for meat and fish and export to other States, abroad, if need be. This is also aimed at making the Yadavs, Kurumas, Mudiraj and Bestha communities to become financially comfortable and self-sufficient” the CM said.

The CM has urged the gathering to extend support to the programmes and enlist the support of their family members and friends. “The on-going land records Purification Programme is your work and you should help in making it successful. It is only when the land records are clean and correct, government schemes like giving Rs 8000 financial investment subsidy per acre per year to farmers will beneficial,” the CM said

The Chief Minister also explained how the government is providing water for irrigation, quality 24 X 7 uninterrupted power supply and fertilisers and pesticides to the farm sector. In this context, he spoke about the formation of the Farmers Associations (Rythu Samakhya Samithies) at the village level to ensure that the farmers got their Minimum Support Price for their produce.

Earlier, Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav, MP Gutha Sukhender Reddy, Vijaya dairy Development Corporation Chairman Loka Bhoomreddy among others addressed the gathering.(NSS)