Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Sunday announced accidental death compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the milk farmers affiliated to state-owned Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (OMFED).
The farmers will now receive an additional Rs 3 for every litre of milk supplied to the OMFED, Majhi announced while speaking at a state-level event organised to mark ‘World Milk Day’.
Accordingly, the price of milk will be increased by Rs 4 per litre, of which the government will bear Rs 2 per litre and the consumer will have to pay an additional Rs 2 per litre, officials said.
Majhi said the state produced around 26.4 lakh metric tonnes of milk during the financial year 2023-24.
The per capita availability of milk at the national level was 471 grams while it was 156 grams in Odisha, he said.
“We have to enhance our milk production to come at par with the national average or surpass it. Since our government came to power in the state, we are making all efforts to double the milk production in the next five years,” he said.
In order to enhance milk production and boost the dairy sector, Majhi said the government has recently launched ‘Mukhyamantri Kamadhenu Yojana’ (MKY) with an outlay of Rs 1,423 crore for five years.
Under MKY, financial assistance of up to 70 per cent is being provided to the beneficiaries.
A target has been set to include 15 lakh ‘gopalak’ (cattle-rearers) under the scheme, he stated.
In the last financial year 2024-25, about 3 lakh beneficiaries have benefited from the scheme with a grant of Rs 71 crore, the Chief Minister said.
Further, the state government has launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Prani Kalyan Yojana’ (MPKY) with an outlay of Rs 186 crore for the establishment of new ‘goshalas’ (cow shelters) and support existing registered ‘goshalas’, he added.
Under the MPKY scheme, registered goshalas are provided Rs 20,000 per animal for care and maintenance in two instalments. In November last year, Rs 9 crore was given to 68 goshalas, while another Rs 10.5 crore has been distributed to 77 goshalas, benefitting around 22,000 stray and helpless cattle across the state, he added.
On this occasion, the CM launched three new products of the OMFED.
Among others, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan and Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik spoke on the occasion.
World Milk Day is being celebrated every year June 1 since 2001 with the aim of spreading widespread awareness about the contribution of livestock keepers in nutritional development and economic growth, and the benefits of milk in a balanced diet.
This year’s theme is ‘Let’s celebrate the power of dairy’.
PTI
