New Delhi (PTI): The Planning Commission has given in-principal approval for the 'National Dairy Plan' to scale up the country's milk production to 180 million tonnes by 2021-22, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday.

"The Planning Commission has recently given in principle approval for a new scheme, namely National Dairy Plan," Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

The proposed scheme will be implemented with World Bank assistance, he said.

Mr. Thomas further said the government is implementing few schemes such as 'Intensive Dairy Development Programme' for the development of dairy sector in the country.

About 1.29 lakh cooperative societies covering 13.40 million dairy farmers have been promoted through various schemes, he said.

The country's milk production is estimated to have increased to 104.80 million tonnes in 2007-08 from 17 million tonnes in 1950-51, he added.