The Telangana government would be taking up massive promotion of Vijaya dairy products by opening 1,000 outlets across the State and outside, said Animal Husbandry Minister Thalasani Srinivas Yadav here on Saturday.
In the wake of reports on the fall in sales of milk, the Minister held a review meeting with the department officials on the measures taken to promote animal husbandry sector, including dairy farming, sheep rearing and fish cultivation to enable people in hereditary professions to earn a decent income.
Speaking to media persons later, Mr. Srinivas Yadav said the government was giving an incentive of ₹4 per litre to the dairy farmers as part of which ₹100 crore was paid as incentive to dairy farmers in Nalgonda and Karimnagar. The department also took stock of fodder situation with a view to ensure that there was no shortage of fodder seed to sheep and cattle in summer. Vijaya milk and other products would be promoted in tourist and pilgrim centres and instructions would be given to all the government institutions to use Vijaya dairy products.
On the alleged irregularities recycling of sheep in the ambitious programme to distribute sheep to shepherds, cowherd and other communities traditionally involved in sheep-rearing activity, the Minister said when 40 lakh sheep were distributed, there might be some irregularities here and there. That was why CESS was asked to look into the implementation of the programme. In addition to 40 lakh sheep, 15 lakh new sheep were born.
A decision on increasing wages of Gopal Mitras, the trained workers to help dairy farmers, would be taken in a week. The meeting also reviewed veterinary care, functioning of 35 mobile veterinary clinics and the helpline 196 to get medical care to the cattle and sheep.
