Dairy Sahakar launched to help make dairy sector ‘atmanirbhar’

New Delhi

In a bid to realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sahkar se Samriddhi (Prosperity Through Cooperation), Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah and Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala have jointly launched ‘Dairy Sahakar’, a scheme envisaging investment of Rs 5,000 crore with a focus on encouraging cooperative dairy businesses in the country.

This is for the first time a comprehensive scheme exclusively for cooperatives related to all aspects of dairy business has been framed by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in partnership with the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department.

Before launching the scheme, Shah, at an event held in Gujarat’s Anand to celebrate Amul’s 75th foundation year, said that dairy sector and cooperatives have a major role to turn India not only into a USD 5-trillion economy but also help making the agriculture and allied sectors atmanirbhar (self-reliant).

"We need to implement this cooperative model to empower sectors like agriculture and animal husbandry, and NCDC’s 5000-crore-rupees Dairy Sahakar is a step towards that," Shah said, adding that that Amul was founded as a cooperative movement in 1946 in Anand under the guidance of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and cooperative leader Tribhuvandas Patel. Shah said Amul was a model for the world.

Rupala echoed similar views and appreciated how Amul had helped in boosting the economy of the State particularly those living in rural areas.  “Dairy is one of the biggest agri-businesses in India and a significant contributor to Indian economy,” said the Minister as he appreciated the NCDC, a mega financing organization for cooperatives under the Ministry of Cooperation, for framing the Dairy Sahakar scheme.

 “This Dairy Sahakar will supplement the existing efforts for strengthening the dairy sector in the country. This is the first-ever and the only dairy-focused comprehensive framework from NCDC leveraging different available schemes of the Union Government,” Rupala said in his speech in Gujarati.

“Under Dairy Sahakar, NCDC has earmarked Rs 5,000 crore and would be bolstered further with convergence from other Central Government Ministries like Animal Husbandry and Dairy. The scheme will provide critical credit linkage for different types of business by cooperatives,” NCDC MD Sundeep K Nayak said.

He informed that various central schemes will also be converged with that of state governments, Union Territory administrations development agencies and others for the benefit of the beneficiaries. The period of loan will be for 5-10 years, including 1-2 years of moratorium on repayment of principal, depending on the type of project and revenue streams. The scheme will initially be implemented from 2021-22 to 2025-26 for a period of five years, Nayak said.

There is no minimum or maximum limit on financial assistance to projects by eligible cooperatives, he added.

The event was attended, among others, by Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat; BL Verma, Minister of State for Cooperation; Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State for Communications; and Devendra Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation.