Dalit bandhu scheme revived with training of beneficiaries opting mini-dairy units
K M Dayashankar
KARIMNAGAR: The state government had restarted the ambitious Telangana Dalit Bandhu (TDB) scheme, which was aimed for the economic empowerment of the dalits in the Huzurabad assembly segment on an experimental basis.
Accordingly, the district authorities have launched the training programmes for the TDB beneficiaries who have opted for taking up the mini-dairy units. Out of total beneficiaries, 1103 persons have selected the mini-dairy units in the Huzurabad assembly segment. The district SC corporation in association with the Karimnagar Milk Producer Company Limited also known as Karimnagar Dairy and the district veterinary and animal welfare department launched the training programmes on Wednesday.
In each batch, daily 200 beneficiaries would be trained on the mini-dairy activities including the selection of murrah animals from other states, fodder cultivation, animal feed, health and hygiene of the animal, milking techniques, marketing facilities of the milk with Karimnagar dairy etc. The training programme would be conducted for a week period till all the beneficiaries were empowered on the successful functioning of mini dairy units.
The first training programme was inaugurated by Additional Collector Garima Agarwal along with Karimnagar Dairy chairman Ch Rajeshwara Rao, MD P Shankar Reddy, ED SC corporation Suresh Kumar, District veterinary and animal health officer Jayaramulu and others. The participants were explained about various aspects of dairying through power point presentation and also field visit to the Dairy farm to inspect the cattle and its nurturing, fodder cultivation etc.
Speaking on the occasion, Garima Agarwal said that the Dalit bandhu was launched to make the beneficiaries as successful entrepreneurs. The one-day training was first step, later they would release Rs 1.5 lakh for the construction of cattle-shed and help them purchase four animals from other states such as Haryana, Gujarat, Tamilnadu etc. After another six months, they would help the beneficiary to purchase another four animals after undergoing good expertise in the dairy units, she stated.
Within one-year, the beneficiary would become good entrepreneur and the mini-dairy model would emerge as guiding light for rest of the society, she stated and appealed to the beneficiaries to take full advantage of the training with the experts in the fields and clarify all of their doubts. She also appreciated the Karimnagar Dairy authorities for providing 90 per cent subsidy on the insurance of the animals.
Karimnagar Dairy chairman Ch Rajeshwara Rao said that the Dalit bandh was a prestigious programme taken up by the government. Appreciating the beneficiaries for selecting the mini-dairy units, he said that the dairy was the only unit which would provide regular source of income every fortnight for selling milk to the Karimnagar dairy.
The farmers cannot fix a rate for their agriculture produce and vegetables, but they can fix the rate for the milk supplied to the Karimnagar dairy and secure regular income, he stated and also enlightened the beneficiaries about the welfare schemes launched for milking animals and the milk producing farmers including Kaylanamasthu, scholarships, pension scheme etc. He advised the farmers to treat animal like children to reap riches.
