Kolkata: Union Home and Cooperation minister Amit Shah on Sunday said West Bengal was entering a new phase of economic growth and employment generation under the BJP government, asserting that the Centre and the state administration were committed to building a “prosperous and secure Sonar Bangla”.
Addressing the virtual groundbreaking ceremony of Amul’s Rs 700-crore dairy processing plant at Dhulagarh in Howrah from the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Shah said the BJP government would fulfil every promise made during the Assembly elections.
The plant will directly benefit nearly 1.2 lakh dairy farmers and cattle rearers, he said, adding that the state government would provide 30 acres free of cost to the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) to set up two more dairy plants in North and South Bengal. The expansion is expected to benefit another 2.5 lakh livestock farmers.
Shah also announced that the Centre would soon launch a programme to improve cattle breeding and raise milk production in the state by 25 per cent. He said the Union Cooperation Ministry had prepared more than 70 initiatives to strengthen the cooperative sector, with benefits expected to reach farmers within six months.
The Union minister inaugurated a 1,400-metric tonne cooperative warehouse for agricultural produce and announced a cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, Bharat Taxi, under the “Sarathi” model, under which app-based drivers will become shareholders and share in the profits.
On law and order, Shah said the Centre and the state government were committed to ensuring women’s safety and strengthening internal security.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the Dhulagarh project would spur both a “White Revolution” and a “Sweet Revolution” by boosting milk production and commercial manufacture of Bengal’s traditional sweet curd. Seeking further investment, he urged Amul to establish two large ice cream plants in North and South Bengal, assuring 15 acres of land for each project.
Adhikari said the proposed investments would generate employment, benefit 10,000-15,000 hawkers and retailers and increase GST collections.
Coming up at Sankrail Food Park, the Amul facility will have a processing capacity of 30 lakh litres of milk per day, including units for pouch milk, UHT milk, ice cream, dahi, paneer, ghee, sweets and flavoured milk. Amul, which began procurement in West Bengal in 2004, currently works with over 1.25 lakh dairy farmers through 880 village dairy cooperative societies and 107 bulk milk cooling sites. It aims to raise milk procurement in the state from 9 lakh litres to 20 lakh litres per day over the next few years.
