Ludhiana, Oct 19 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that due to strenuous efforts of the state government, Milkfed, the state's leading cooperative, will augment milk supply to Delhi from currently 30,000 litres to 2 lakh litres, thereby immensely benefitting milk producers of the state.
"This is a revolutionary step aimed at supplementing the income of the farmers to bail them out from the agrarian crisis," he said after inaugurating Verka's newly-built milk processing and butter plant here.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has inked an agreement with the Delhi government in this regard.
He said as per this agreement, Verka will open new outlets at every nook and corner of Delhi to supply milk and milk products in the capital. Mann asserted that the sole aim of his government is to extend maximum support and best prices to the dairy farmers of Punjab by following the true essence of cooperation.
He also called for implementation of farmer-friendly schemes so as to boost the dairying business amongst the youth and make them financially independent and self-reliant.
Mann also said that he has asked Milkfed to further launch an aggressive marketing campaign to capture a sizable chunk of consumer market not only in the state but across the country and even abroad. He said this leading state cooperative has a perceptible presence in the domestic market as Verka is a household name in the region.
The Chief Minister said that Verka products like ghee, milk, butter, lassi, kheer, curd, ice-cream, sweets and others have already created a niche for themselves in the nationwide market which could further be widened with concerted efforts.
Striking an emotional chord with city of Ludhiana, he described it as his 'karam bhoomi' whereas Satauj village was his 'janambhoomi', adding the state-of-the-art project, constructed at a cost of Rs 105 crore, is a Diwali bonanza for the farmers.
Mann said its milk processing capacity is 9 lakh litres daily and 10 metric tonne butter handling capacity.
The Chief Minister asserted Punjabis are blessed with the qualities of entrepreneurship and leadership, and due to these qualities, have carved a niche for themselves across the globe. Mann said his government strives to make youth of Punjab to job providers instead of job seekers.
According to Dhami, Jagdish Tytler is the main accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi who can never be forgiven by the Sikh community. "Visiting the Golden Temple while wearing a t-shirt with Tytler's picture on it is an act of annoying the Sikhs," said Dhami.
According to the police, the incident took place when the victims reached the other track to avoid the train coming from one side. All three died on the spot. The deceased have been identified as Faizan Ahmed, Adil and Sahul.
A day after convicts in the infamous Bilkis Bano case were released, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Tuesday took up the case of Sikh prisoners languishing in jails and called for a uniformity in the definition of remission policy. "There must be uniformity across the country about definition of life imprisonment & remissions permissible".
Lakhs of Punjabis, who lost their lives during the 1947 India-Pakistan Partition of the country, were remembered at Akal Takht on Tuesday. A special Ardas Samagam (prayer congregation) was organised in this regard at Akal Takht, in which, tributes were paid to lakhs of people who lost their lives during the country's Partition.
The incident took place in Baraut town and the motive behind it is said to be a property dispute. Circle Officer (CO) Yuvraj said that the deceased included Brijpal, 60, Jyoti, 24 and Anuradha, 17.
The Chief Minister said these clinics will be opened in every nook and corner of the state, adding, that in big villages, two such clinics will be opened for the convenience of the people. He said in the first phase, 75 such Aam Aadmi clinics have been dedicated to people to mark the 75th Independence Day.
