Pointing out that milk production and the sale of milk products by Aavin have set an all-time high record after the AIADMK government assumed office in 2011, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced many measures for improving the infrastructure facilities of the district cooperative milk producers unions and to encourage the members of cooperative milk producers unions, all at a cost of Rs 95.66 crore.
Making a suo motu statement in the State Assembly, the CM said the measures announced by her would enable the State in achieving the goal of Second White Revolution. She said the procurement of milk has increased to 24.36 lakh litres per day from the 20 lakh litres per day during the previous DMK regime, because of her government’s initiative. For the first time ever in the annals of the State, Aavin had created history by procuring 27.15 lakh litres milk on November 20, 2012.
She said a lot of new milk products have been introduced as a result of which milk production and sales have been increasing. The total sales during 2012-13 was Rs 3,584 crores as against Rs 2,791 crore in 2011-12.
The Chief Minister said Rs 20.90-crore worth infrastructure facilities for storing milk would be set up at milk societies in Trichy, Pudukkottai, Vellore, Villupuram, Salem, Dharmapuri and Dindugul, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur.
The milk handling capacity in Chennai has been increased from 10.20 lakh litre to 11.25 lakh litre. She said the facilities would be upgraded at a cost of Rs 37.90 crores and new equipment would be acquired for Ambattur milk farm at Rs 14.25 crore. Jayalalithaa said state-of-the-art packing machines will be installed at a cost of Rs 10 crore in Sholinganallur milk society. At the Madhavaram facility, `5.60 crore worth infrastructure projects would be taken up.
The Chief Minister said Rs 8.5 crore-worth cold storage-related works would be taken up at milk societies in Chennai, besides Rs 35.70 crore worth machineries would be acquired to check the quality of milk.
Incentives
She said 300 quality milk suppliers would be selected per society and they would be given star status and incentives. Under this scheme, `3,000 each would be given to first 100 persons, Rs 2,000 each to the next 100 persons, Rs 1,000 each to third 100 persons, she said and announced allocation of Rs 1.2 crores for this purpose. Top 10 associations providing quality milk to producers union would be identified and Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,00 would be given as first, second and third prizes.