The State Government has initiated various innovative and ambitious schemes to double the income of farming community by 2022 and rearing of milch animals could play important role in it, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Saturday.

After laying foundation stone of 50,000 litre per capacity Milk Processing Plant of MILKFED at Chakkar in Mandi district to be constructed by spending an amount of Rs 16.31 crore, Thakur said MILKFED has a capacity of collecting milk upto 1 lakh liter which needed to be increased.  He said that in the developed country the base of the rural economy was Animal Husbandry and the farmers by going for best breed of cows could increase their income manifold.

Thakur appreciated the efforts of the MILKFED in diversifying its activities as this would not only ensure increase in its revenue but also help the farmers by offering them more effective services. He said that the state government was also promoting indigenous breed of cattle so that the farmers could get high milk producing cows.

He said the state government was also promoting natural farming so that people could be motivated to rear cattle, adding that the state government has also constituted a Gau Sanrakshan Boarding in the state, besides several Cow Sanctuaries were being opened in different parts of the State.

The Chief Minister said that the Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Ner Chowk, Mandi was fast emerging as the premier Medical College of the region and the state government was committed to strengthen this Medical College. He said the state today has six medical colleges in government sector alone and AIIMS was coming up in Bilaspur district. He said that land was being identified nearby Ner Chowk to ensure proper functioning of Medical University in the state. He said that as soon as land was identified the work would be started. Thakur said he had laid the foundation stone of Tertiary Cancer Care Centre at Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Ner Chowk which would cater to health care needs of over 25 lakh population of the area.

The centre would be equipped with latest machinery and equipments like Linear Accelerator, HDR Brachytherapy and Planning CT-Simulator for the treatment of various cancers like head and neck, breast, cervix, lungs and lymphoma etc.  He said that dedicated chemotherapy, radiotherapy, oncosurgery and palliative care facilities would also be made available in this cancer centre.

Chief Minister also presented cheque Rs 2000 each to the Milk Cooperatives as Assistance on behalf of MILKFED. He also presented Automatic Milk Collection units to farmers on the occasion.

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid foundation stone of Tertiary Cancer Care Centre at Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Ner Chowk Mandi to be constructed by spending about Rs 45 crore.  He also inaugurated PHC building at Leda constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.75 crore.

Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar said that the Milk Processing Plant would prove a boon to the farmers of the district and also help the farmers to double their income by the year 2022. He also urged the Chief Minister to increase the rate of milk to facilitate the farmers. He also urged the farmers to rear cows of good breed, for which the state government was providing subsidy for purchase of such cattle.

Chairman MILKFED Nehal Chand Sharma said this processing plant would go a long way in strengthening the economy of the farmers of the area.

CM INAUGURATES VIRTUAL CLASS ROOM FACILITY

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur inaugurated Virtual Class Room facility at Vallabh Government Degree College Mandi to facilitate the students in getting better education.

He also interacted with the teachers and students of Kotli, Dharampur, Lambathach, Thachi, Nihri and D ehar Colleges through Virtual Class Rooms and provided laptops to meritorious students under the Srinivasa Ramanujan Students Digital Yojna. As many as twenty students were provided laptops by the Chief Minister on the occasion.

Director Higher Education Amarjeet Sharma said eight colleges of the district have been successfully linked with Virtual Class Rooms to facilitate the students of the district.