Karnataka - Bellary   

Rs. 1 crore released for dairy infrastructure

BELLARY: In conformity with the decision taken by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), the Bellary, Raichur and Koppal Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation has decided to increase the price of milk by Rs. 2 a litre. The revised rate will come into effect on Thursday.

Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, Balusu Suryanarayana Murthy, president of the federation, said that of the increase, Rs. 1.70 and Rs. 1.50 would be passed on to farmers supplying buffalo and cow milk respectively.

Shortage in milk production on the one hand and the rise in cost of production, and rise in the cost of extension of technical support by the federation on the other, had necessitated an increase in the milk price, he said.

He said the federation had been facing shortage of milk to the extent of 15,000 litres a day, and to meet the demand it had been procuring milk from other federations. As of now, 67,000 litres of milk was being procured, while 72,000 litres was being sold a day, he said. B.M. Premnath, Managing Director of the federation, said that of the Rs. 3 crore sanctioned by the State Government in accordance with the recommendations of the Nanjundappa Committee report on Redressal of Regional Imbalances, Rs. 1 crore had been released towards infrastructure betterment.

A sum of Rs. 15 lakh was being utilised to form new unions and setting up artificial insemination centres and for purchase of first-aid kits. The remaining Rs. 85 lakh was being utilised for improving infrastructure at the dairy and at the procuring centres in its jurisdiction, he said, and added that the process of floating tenders had already begun.

With regard to the implementation of the “Amruta” scheme meant to provide farmers with milch animals, he said the State federation was yet to release funds for the purpose. According to him, a selection committee, with the Deputy Commissioner as its chairman, had been formed, and the process of receiving applications would be taken up after the release of funds. Around 3,000 milch animals (each costing around Rs. 20,000) would be distributed to women beneficiaries, including widows and Devadasis, in the three districts. Fifty per cent of the cost of the animal would be given in the form of grants and the rest in the form of loan. The grant portion would be 60 per cent in the case of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Gearing up to tackle water shortage in summer
Rs. 1 crore released for dairy infrastructure
Two killed in blast

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu