ZT NEWS NETWORK
JAMMU: J&K Administration today asked Amul company and other private companies to set up Milk ATMs in J&K. To begin with, milk ATMs will be established in Srinagar and Jammu cities.
Principal Secretary Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department, Navin K Choudhary asked both public sector organisations like Amul and private sector milk processors to set up large number of Milk Vending Machines (milk ATMs) across Jammu and Kashmir and to begin with in Srinagar and Jammu cities. He assured them that Eol’s in this regard will be issued early next week.
Expressing dismay over the price fixation mechanism by CAPD Department of milk and milk products which generally gets revised only after a year, Principal Secretary said that this does not take the producer’s interest in terms of their rising costs. He emphasised that while consumer’s interest should be taken care of producer’s interest in terms of remuneration prices also needs to be ensured.
He asked the officers to immediately workout a viable Price Fixation Mechanism like in other parts of the country. The arbitrary prices also result in other malpractices which could be avoided through an established mechanism envisaging periodic review of the price of inputs as well as end milk products.
Mr Navin also asked the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department not to undertake any new construction work rather focus on completion of ongoing works. He asked the department to revise their CAPEX Plan to strengthen veterinary services, equipments in hospitals and veterinary centres.
Meanwhile, Choudhary reviewed the immediate situation in view of COVID-19 pandemic and was informed that household consumption of milk has not gone down while there is shortfall of 4 to 6 lakh litre (approximately) in consumption due to closer of hotels, restaurants, sweet shops, dhabas, tea stalls, banquet halls besides absence of various social and religious functions.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Director Animal Husbandry Jammu Vivek Sharma, representatives of AMUL and Mission Director Dairy Development, Purnima Mittal while Director Animal Husbandry Kashmir and representatives of Khyber Dairy, Kashmir participated in the meeting through video conferencing.