Inaugurates World's Largest Curd Production Plant, Says Bengal is on Course to Regain its Leadership Position

Kolkata, 19 July (H.S.): Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated the world's largest curd production plant under the Amul Bengal Dairy Project in Kolkata and described the political transformation in West Bengal as the most significant change witnessed by any Indian state since Independence. He said the state is steadily moving towards reclaiming its position as one of the country's leading contributors to development.

Addressing the gathering, Shah said West Bengal once led the nation in education, culture, spiritual thought, and the freedom movement, producing some of India's greatest leaders, thinkers, and freedom fighters. He expressed confidence that the state is now entering a new era of growth and prosperity.

Criticising previous governments, Shah said West Bengal remained under the influence of a foreign ideology for nearly three decades during Left rule, followed by 15 years under what he termed a corrupt and ideologically bankrupt government. He said the political change in the state has opened new opportunities for development and economic progress.

The Union Minister said the nearly ₹700-crore Amul Bengal Dairy Project would mark a milestone in the history of the state's dairy cooperative sector. The state-of-the-art facility will process 3 million litres of milk every day and produce 1 million kilograms of curd and other cultured dairy products daily. It will also manufacture packaged milk, UHT milk, ice cream, paneer, ghee, sweets, and flavoured milk on a large scale.

According to Shah, the project will directly benefit more than 1.25 lakh dairy farmers across West Bengal, including over 30,000 women dairy producers. He said the initiative would enhance farmers' incomes, strengthen dairy processing and marketing infrastructure, and give a major boost to the cooperative dairy movement in eastern India.

During the programme, Shah distributed registration certificates to newly formed dairy cooperative societies under White Revolution 2.0. He also handed over certificates to multi-purpose rural cooperative societies and launched the e-RCS portal, aimed at digitising the registration and administrative processes of cooperative societies.

The Home Minister also laid the foundation stones for new storage warehouses in various districts of West Bengal under the World's Largest Grain Storage Scheme and inaugurated two newly completed warehouses. An agreement was also exchanged between Bharat Taxi and the State Information Technology and Electronics Department to expand member-based transport services in the state.

Concluding his three-day visit to West Bengal, Shah also held review meetings with officials from the Centre and the state government on key administrative issues, including preventing illegal infiltration, strengthening law and order, and enhancing women's safety. He expressed confidence that the cooperative initiatives launched during the visit would accelerate White Revolution 2.0, increase farmers' incomes, and provide a strong boost to the rural economy of West Bengal.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh