In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ and under the leadership of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, sustained efforts are being made to transform cooperation into an effective instrument for strengthening the rural economy, advancing agricultural development, enhancing the income of livestock rearers and empowering women. As part of these efforts, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today addressed the Gaupalak Sammelan at Dussehra Maidan in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and inaugurated a State-level exhibition on the New Criminal Laws. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Deputy Chief Ministers Shri Jagdish Devda and Shri Rajendra Shukla, several Ministers of the State Government, Members of Parliament, MLAs, representatives of the cooperative sector and a large number of livestock rearers and milk producers were present on the occasion.
At the outset of the programme, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation inaugurated the State-level exhibition on the New Criminal Laws and viewed various exhibition sections showcasing the achievements of Madhya Pradesh Police in their implementation.
Addressing the gathering, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the country has made a historic transition from the punishment-centric criminal justice system of the colonial era towards a new system focused on delivering justice to citizens. He said that the fundamental objective of the new laws is not to protect the government but to safeguard the dignity, property and physical security of the citizens of India, and their core principle is ‘justice’, not ‘punishment’. He said that after their full implementation, the new system aims to make the judicial process time-bound, from the registration of an FIR right up to the Supreme Court.
Shri Amit Shah said that modern science and technology have been extensively incorporated into the new criminal justice system. Several modern and scientific provisions, including electronic evidence, online summons, online hearings, video conferencing and forensic science, have been incorporated into the new framework. He said that the new laws also contain specific provisions to deal with crimes relating to the safety of women, missing children, terrorism and mob lynching. He expressed confidence that after their full implementation, India’s criminal justice system will rank among the most modern systems in the world.
Referring to the cooperative sector, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that there had been a long-standing demand in the country for a separate Ministry of Cooperation, and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi infused new energy and momentum into the cooperative sector by establishing an independent Ministry of Cooperation. He said that farmers, livestock rearers and people associated with the rural economy are the biggest beneficiaries of the establishment of this Ministry.
Shri Amit Shah said that livestock rearers selling milk in the open market often do not receive a remunerative price for their produce because of intermediaries, whereas the cooperative system not only enables them to secure better prices but also connects them with the economic benefits generated through milk processing and value addition. He said that robust processing infrastructure is essential for producing value-added products such as ice cream, butter, ghee, cheese and mawa from milk, and the Government is working rapidly in this direction.
Describing breed improvement as an important means of enhancing productivity in the dairy sector, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that he had requested the Madhya Pradesh Government to provide 50 acres of land for programmes related to breed improvement of cattle and buffaloes, and Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has given in-principle approval for the same. He said that modern breed-improvement technologies will help improve animal health and milk productivity while also promoting the conservation and development of India’s indigenous breeds. The use of modern technologies such as sex-sorted semen will also enhance the prospects of additional economic benefits for livestock rearers.
Referring to the State Government’s target for increasing milk production in Madhya Pradesh, Shri Amit Shah said that it is an ambitious goal and the Central Government will work shoulder to shoulder with the State Government and the livestock rearers of Madhya Pradesh to achieve it.
Highlighting the progress made by India’s dairy sector, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the country’s total milk production stood at approximately 14.60 crore tonnes in 2014-15 and has now increased to around 24.80 crore tonnes. He said that during the same period, per capita milk availability has increased by approximately 58%, from around 307 grams per day to 485 grams per day. He said that India today is the world’s largest milk-producing country.
Shri Amit Shah said that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and in keeping with the resolve to make India a leading nation in every sphere by 2047, the agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperative sectors are also being modernised and made globally competitive. He said that exports of Indian dairy products have increased to approximately ₹4,666 crore, with Indian dairy products being exported to several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Bhutan.
Referring to White Revolution 2.0, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that a target has been set to establish 75,000 new cooperative dairies across the country and strengthen 46,000 existing dairies. He said that a large number of new cooperative dairies will be established in Madhya Pradesh under this initiative, enabling the State’s livestock rearers to benefit from organised markets, better prices, modern processing facilities and a stronger cooperative network.
Shri Amit Shah said that several measures are also being taken to integrate the dairy sector with the Net Zero and circular economy model. Initiatives relating to breed improvement, vaccination, quality livestock, fodder management, artificial insemination and sex-sorted semen are being taken forward. He said that the Sardar Patel Cooperative Dairy Federation Limited has also been established for this purpose.
Highlighting the potential of a dung-based economy, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that various models have been developed to take forward, in an integrated manner, the scientific collection of dung, reduction of methane emissions, clean energy generation, nutrient recycling and creation of rural employment. He said that efforts will be made in the coming years to develop a system under which dung can also become an additional source of income for livestock rearers and farmers in Madhya Pradesh.
Referring to the role of women in dairy cooperatives, Shri Amit Shah said that there can hardly be a more powerful instrument of women empowerment than cooperative dairying. Dairy activities place income directly in the hands of women and thereby link women empowerment with rural development, the economic advancement of farmers and the prosperity of families. He said that the dairy sector is also playing an important role in the country’s fight against malnutrition.
The Union Home Minister referred to the efforts of the Central and State Governments to make Madhya Pradesh free from narcotics and drugs and said that a detailed meeting on the issue is being held with the Chief Minister and the departments concerned. He said that work will be undertaken to formulate and implement a detailed and meticulous action plan to make Madhya Pradesh free from narcotics and drugs, thereby ensuring a safe and bright future for the youth of the State and future generations.
Shri Amit Shah congratulated Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, the Deputy Chief Ministers and the entire State Government team for the various decisions taken in the interest of livestock rearers. He said that the target of substantially expanding milk production and the cooperative dairy network in Madhya Pradesh is undoubtedly challenging, but the Central Government will extend its full support to the State Government and livestock rearers in achieving this objective. The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the Central and State Governments are working with the resolve to take the cooperative and dairy sectors to new heights so that Madhya Pradesh prospers through dairy development and cattle rearing, its farmers prosper and, above all, women prosper.
On the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding was also exchanged between KRIBHCO and the Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for developing an urban forest in Bhopal under the ‘Morvan Project’.
During the programme, Shri Amit Shah digitally laid the foundation stone for a 3 lakh litres per day milk processing plant in Ujjain, to be established at a cost of ₹255 crore. A 40,000 litres per day Product Dairy Plant, constructed in Bhopal at a cost of approximately ₹16.5 crore, and a state-of-the-art State-level Central Laboratory, built at a cost of ₹12.42 crore, were also inaugurated. The strengthening works of the Mini Dairy Plant in Shivpuri, undertaken at a cost of ₹6.5 crore, were also inaugurated digitally. These projects will further strengthen milk processing capacity, quality testing facilities and dairy-sector infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh.
During the programme, bonuses were provided to livestock rearers associated with the Bhopal and Indore Milk Unions, while financial assistance was extended to Gaushalas through a single click. Dividends were distributed to members of dairy cooperative societies and livestock rearers were felicitated. Recognising the important role of women livestock rearers, ‘Gaupalak Didis’ were also honoured. In addition, sanction letters were presented under the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Kamdhenu Yojana.