Markfed to double milk supply at reasonable rate: Minister

Jalandhar, June 30 (UNI) Punjab Cooperative Minister Capt Kawaljeet Singh today announced that Markfed would soon double the supply of fresh milk in the urban areas in the state to provide quality milk at reasonable rate.

While talking to media persons here, the Minister said the Markfed milk would be provided at reasonable rate without compromising on the quality of the product.

To improve milk production in the state, he said farmers would be encouraged to adopt dairy farming on commercial basis. For this, a sum of Rs 50 crore had been earmarked to provide incentives to dairy farmers, he added. Farmers would also be given technical help, loan facilities and the entire milk would be procured by the Markfed, he said.

With an eye on nearly 18,000 vacant officers' post in the Indian Army, he apprised a programme would soon be implemented with the help of Sainik Welfare Boards in the state for the training of deserving candidates, both at the officer and junior levels. This would help in solving the unemployment problem to some extent, he added.

To make career more attractive in armed forces and to remove the salary discrimination when compared with private sector, he said he would soon talk to Union Home Minister to increase salary and incentives on the pattern of Western countries, as most the time defence personnels are posted at the border area.

While condemning the working of Congress party in the Vidhan Sabha during budget session, he said the Congress party had failed to play the role of constructive Opposition.

''In a bid to cover up their failure, the Opposition members with irresponsible attitude, dispruted the functioning of the Vidhan Sabha,'' he said adding the Congressmen had earlier said that they would discuss law and order issue but during the four-day budget discussions, they raised neither law and order nor any other issue in the Vidhan Sabha.

UNI