Secretary Smt. Alka Upadhyaya Chairs Regional Review Meeting in New Delhi
Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Smt Alka Upadhyaya chaired a Regional Review Meeting in New Delhi today with Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/ Secretary along with concerned Directors, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department of Western States/UTs namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to discuss the progress of implementation of the programmes/schemes of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy sector. The review meeting was attended by Additional Secretary, Joint Secretaries, Chief Controller of Accounts and other senior officers of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GOI.
In the meeting, Smt Alka Upadhyaya reviewed the physical and financial progress of all animal husbandry and dairying schemes like Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), Entrepreneurship Development under National Livestock Mission (NLM), National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) being implemented by Central Government in Western States/UTs. She emphasized the need to utilize and disposal of unspent balances lying with Western States/UTs under the schemes and directed states to promptly finalize and submit their annual action plans and demands for financial year 2024-25 to the Central Government.
She also highlighted the importance of addressing the productivity concern particularly regarding breed improvement, ensuring effective vaccination, as well as increasing feed and fodder production. She emphasized on State to prioritize the export of dairy products and focus on developing disease free zones to facilitate exports.
Smt Alka Upadhyaya underscored the significance of livestock insurance and emphasized that State AHD to concentrate on fodder seed production and infrastructure development for improved healthcare services. She encouraged states to intensively promote entrepreneurship in the Animal Husbandry and Dairying sector leveraging the benefits of Entrepreneurship Development under National Livestock Mission (NLM) and Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) and also urged state on the establishment of Milk Producer Companies, along with dairy cooperatives as a strategic approach to bolster the dairy industry.