Jaipur: The Centre Tuesday gave in-principle approval for financial assistance of Rs 1,500 crore to Rajasthan for the expansion of dairy sector and strengthening of the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF).The approval was discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary V Srinivas in Jaipur.Officials said Rs 1,000 crore of the proposed assistance will come under the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) project, while Rs 500 crore has been approved under the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD).The funds will be used to expand milk procurement, processing and marketing infrastructure across the state.Officials said RCDF plans to increase milk procurement from the present 45 lakh litres per day to 65 lakh litres per day and raise milk processing capacity by 20 lakh litres daily.The meeting reviewed the implementation of decisions taken earlier at meetings chaired by chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma regarding expansion of the dairy sector and promotion of the Saras brand.Chief secretary V Srinivas said the state govt aims to establish Saras not merely as a cooperative dairy institution but as a strong national dairy brand. He directed officials to expand Saras outlets and dairy parlours, set up new processing plants, and expedite financial approvals for dairy projects.RCDF managing director Shruti Bhardwaj said Rajasthan ranks second in the country in milk production and per capita milk availability. “Nearly 10 crore kg milk is produced daily in the state and more than 20,000 dairy cooperative societies are operating at the village level,” she said.The meeting also discussed expansion of the Saras network to neighbouring states, including Delhi, Haryana, NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Plans were shared to open new Saras booths, parlours and plazas at tourist destinations, govt offices, educational institutions and hospitals.
