VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Sidiri Appalaraju urged the Centre to sanction Rs 1,362 crore loan from the National Cooperative Development Centre (NCDC) for the effective implementation of AP Amul Project (Pala Velluva), which is benefiting 10,000 cooperative dairy units operated by women. He was participating in the national-level virtual meeting on livestock development.
Interacting with Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Purushotham Rupala, he explained that after bifurcation of the state, vaccine production centre remained in Telangana and proposal to set up a vaccine centre at Samarlakota of East Godavari district was submitted to the Centre.
He urged the union minister to sanction the same to the state at the earliest and at the same time provide incentives for the dairy sector on the lines of incentives being provided for rearing sheep, goats and pigs under National Livestock Mission, so it can help in empowerment of women in the state.
The minister said to effectively implement the national artificial insemination through the department of animal husbandry and also improve the reproduction rate, colposcopes should be given to the staff of the animal husbandry department. He said a pilot project for the same is being implemented in the state and wanted the Ministry to provide assistance. Appalaraju observed that if the Centre assists in the implementation of YSR Cheyutha, under which women in the age group of 45 to 60 years are being provided Rs 75,000 over a period of four years for self employment, empowerment of rural women will be far more effective.