Sikkim CM P.S. Golay on Tuesday asserted that the government has not reduced the milk procurement rates but has initiated quality improvement.
Addressing a government function here, the Chief Minister mentioned that Sikkim Milk Union is an autonomous body wherein decisions are taken by its board and sent to government for approval.
The Sikkim Milk Union has decided to procure milk wherein the fat content must be 3.5% from the earlier accepted 3% and the SNF should be 7.5% which was earlier 7%, shared the Chief Minister. He said the Union aims to improve the quality of milk so that the milk products can be sold in all markets including outside the State.
At the programme, Sikkim CM Golay announced that from March, the minimum procurement rate of milk would be Rs. 40 per litre. If we add the incentive of Rs. 8, a dairy farmer will be getting Rs. 48 per litre as a minimum price, he said. He added that Sikkim is providing the highest rate of milk per litre to the farmers.
Sikkim CM Asks To Improve The Quality Of Milk
Sikkim CM Golay informed that the milk supply contract of the Sikkim Milk Union with the Indian Army has been cancelled due to downfall in the quality of milk being supplied.
“If we all come together and improve the quality of milk being supplied to Sikkim Milk Union, I assure to take the matter personally with the Union Defence minister for renewal of the contract with the Army. However, we must improve the quality of our milk,” he said.
On the delay in releasing the incentive amount to the farmers, the Chief Minister mentioned that it was due to various reasons but has been resolved. Soon the beneficiaries will receive their incentives in their bank accounts, the Sikkim CM said.
“We have decided to develop a system wherein we plan to release the incentives to the dairy farmers every two months that comes to six times a year. For this, the milk cooperative societies must send data on time so that the Sikkim Milk Union can compile all and funds for disbursement are allocated in a timely, systematic manner.”
Sikkim CM Golay added that the Sikkim Milk Union is the home of all dairy farmers of the State and urged the dairy community not to be “misled and misguided” by opportunists.
Many people and political parties are raising questions on the government regarding the milk procurement rate issue but they must be clear that the Sikkim Milk Union is an autonomous body which is operated by the dairy farmers of the State, he said.
The State government is merely a facilitator which extends required support to the union for its smooth operation, he added.
“After forming the government, we started providing the incentive of Rs. 8 per litre and also increased the milk procurement rate wherein the minimum price was Rs. 36.33 per litre. There was no such incentive for dairy farmers in previous government,” said Golay.
Regarding the Tashiling Secretariat vandalism of last week, the Sikkim CM said the State government is making all necessary efforts to identify and arrest the culprits. Strong action would be taken against them, he said.
On teachers’ appointment issue, the Chief Minister shared that all formalities regarding regularisation of teachers who completed eight years of service have been done. By March, their appointment as regular teachers and respective postings would be done, he said.
He informed that interviews of PGTs and GTs have been completed while interviews of PRTs are being done presently. By March, the appointment of probationary teachers (PGTs and GTS) to their respective schools would be done, he said.
Once appointed, the probationary teachers need not come for further annual interviews and would be regularised automatically after completing eight years of service, he said.
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