NDDB to support Punjab's dairy farmers in enhancing income
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Apr, 2022 10:29 AM
New Delhi/Anand, April 21 (IANS) The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) on Thursday assured support to Punjab government's endeavour in setting up 12 more milk plants in the state at an estimated outlay of about Rs 900 crore in order to bail out dairy farmers.
There already are 11 milk plants in Punjab, covering 6,000 villages, and the new ones would taking the total numbersto 23 and would cover a total of 12,000 villages. This would help in procuring additional 10 lakh litres of milk per day.
"This endeavour will not just supplement the farmers' income but also lead to another White Revolution in Punjab," said NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah after meeting Punjab's Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development & Fisheries, Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal Minister at Anand.
The Punjab government would establish Total Mixed Ration (TMR) plant at Amritsar on the lines of two existing plants successfully operational in Ganganagar and Kolhapur, at an estimated outlay of Rs 80 crore, so as to overcome the problem of pollution and to provide cheaper feed to the dairy farmers, officials said.
"NDDB would provide all necessary assistance. This would also help solve the problem of burning crop residues."
Shah said that NDDB will work with the state government and arrange the required financial and technical assistance.
Rejecting all opposition to his elevation, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party's new Punjab unit President along with four Working Presidents.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
Police said acting on a specific information, Budgam Police along with the Army's 53 RR and 43 BN of the CRPF arrested one local terrorist linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight live pistol rounds from his possession.
As the Pegasus spyware scandal unravelled within and outside Parliament, he termed it a "shocking assault" on India's democratic polity by the Union government, which had compromised the national security with "this blatantly disgraceful act".
