Efforts on to include dairy sector in job scheme

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Sunday that the State government was continuing its efforts to ensure the inclusion of the dairy sector within the ambit of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Inaugurating the new office complex of the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (TRCMPU) at Punnapra, he said the government was firm on its demand to include the dairy, coir and khadi sectors in the scheme. “The inclusion of the dairy sector will enable the State to attain its target of self-sufficiency in milk production earlier than expected,” he said. According to Mr. Chennithala, there has been an increase of 12 per cent in milk production undertaken by Milma in the district. In addition, the growth in sales has also increased by 8 per cent. “The activities of Milma in procuring and selling milk and value-added products have been of immense assistance to the dairy farmers in the State.” He added that three-wheelers with canopy were distributed among 12 unemployed youth for ice-cream vending in the district with the assistance of the Scheduled Caste Development Department in the previous year.

Stress on

self-sufficiency in milk production.