PATNA: Chief minister
Nitish Kumar on Wednesday inaugurated six plants of
Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation (
Comfed) having the total value of Rs144.67 crore on its 35th foundation day.
The plants inaugurated through remote include two ice cream manufacturing units of 20,000 litre per day each at Patna and Biharsharif, one lakh litre per day dairy plant at Supaul, two milk powder plants of 30 metric ton per day capacity each at Hajipur and Samastipur and one new cattle feed plant of 150 metric ton per day at Patna as well as expansion of existing cattle feed plant from 100 metric ton to 150 metric ton per day, thus upgrading the Patna cattle feed plant to the capacity of 300 metric ton per day.
Addressing the foundation day function here, the CM asked the Comfed officials not to compromise with the quality of any of its products to uphold the credibility of ‘Sudha’ brand in the highly competitive market. Comfed sells its dairy and other edible products in the brand name of ‘Sudha’.
Nitish said Sudha has become a brand name in other states as well. “Even a small lapse in any sector of production will demolish your credibility within moments. I, therefore, alert you to maintain quality of all ‘Sudha’ products at any cost. There should not be even a minor lapse at any level,” he told the officials and representatives of different milk unions who attended the function.
The CM also announced a subsidy of Rs2 per kg on Sudha dana (cattle feed) during the months of May to July for milk producers of different milk cooperative societies. He said, as per an estimate, the state government would spend Rs16 crore this year on the subsidy.
He also said the milk powder produced by Comfed would be distributed among the children of Anganwadi centres across the state. He said the decision would help Anganwadi children in getting nutritious milk supplement while Confed would get an assured market for its surplus milk powder.
Expressing happiness over its performance, Nitish said there was five times increase in milk procurement by the federation in the last 12 years. “The milk procurement has increased to 20.85 lakh litre per day this year from 4 lakh litre per day in 2005,” he said.
Addressing the function, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi called for protection of indigenous breed of cows keeping in mind the weather conditions in India and said a centre is being set up at Dumraon with the Centre’s help for protecting local breed of cows. He also called upon people to ensure maximum use of Sudha products, especially its ice cream, in the family functions to promote the Comfed’s sales.
Nitish Kumar