The Centre on Tuesday granted in-principle approval for financial assistance of Rs 1,500 crore to Rajasthan for the expansion of the dairy sector and strengthening of the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF). The approval was finalised during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary V Srinivas in Jaipur.
Funding Details
Officials confirmed that Rs 1,000 crore of the proposed assistance will be sourced under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project, while the remaining Rs 500 crore has been approved under the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD). These funds are earmarked to enhance milk procurement, processing, and marketing infrastructure across the state.
Expansion Plans
The RCDF aims to increase milk procurement from the current 45 lakh litres per day to 65 lakh litres per day, and raise milk processing capacity by an additional 20 lakh litres daily. The meeting reviewed the implementation of earlier decisions taken under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to expand the dairy sector and promote the Saras brand.
Chief Secretary V Srinivas emphasised that the state government intends 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.
Current Status
RCDF Managing Director Shruti Bhardwaj highlighted that Rajasthan ranks second in the country in milk production and per capita milk availability. “Nearly 10 crore kg of milk is produced daily in the state, and more than 20,000 dairy cooperative societies are operating at the village level,” she said.
Network Expansion
The meeting also discussed expanding 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, government offices, educational institutions, and hospitals.
