Paradeep, March 6: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the government will work toward bringing a strong dairy cooperative network to every village in Odisha, similar to the successful model seen in Gujarat. Shah said the initiative aims to strengthen rural livelihoods and economically empower women, particularly from tribal and Other Backwards Class (OBC) communities.
After inaugurating the third stream of the Sulphuric Acid Plant (SAP-III) at the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) unit in Paradeep, he said the expansion would also support India's push toward self-reliance in fertiliser production.
"Today in Gujarat, through 3.6 million rural women, Amul became a movement, and today Amul does business worth Rs 1.3 lakh crore. Its profit, down to every penny, goes to the women cattle herders of Gujarat. Similarly, we will explore the full potential of Odisha to enrich the tribal and OBC mothers and sisters here," Shah said.
He added that both the central and state governments would work together to introduce dairy cooperatives across villages in the state. "In the coming days, both the Bharatiya Janata Party governments will take up the programme of bringing dairy to every village in Odisha, just as it is in Gujarat," he said.
Calling it his first public event in the state after the 2024 elections, Shah also thanked the people of Odisha for supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I want to express my deep gratitude to my Odia brothers and sisters for liberating Odisha from the rule of another state after such a long time," he said.
He said the formation of a "double-engine government" would accelerate the state's development.
"Despite being one of the country's most prosperous states in terms of natural resources, Odisha's potential remained untapped for many years," Shah said, adding that the new government has prepared a comprehensive development plan covering coastal regions, tribal areas, and local industries.
"We will also increase fish farming by giving it cooperative strength. This is likely to greatly benefit seafood exports. In the coming days, the Ministry of Cooperation of the Government of India and the Odisha government together will make an effort to enrich rural life in Odisha," he added.
Highlighting the importance of the newly inaugurated plant, Shah said the expansion at the IFFCO Paradeep facility would help reduce India's dependence on imported raw materials used in fertilisers.
"Prime Minister Modi's vision of self-reliance doesn't just mean making fertilisers; it means everything needed to make fertilisers should be produced within India. This will work towards significantly reducing India's dependence on imports," he added.
