C.M. exhorts scientists to propel dairy industry in the villages

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, called upon veterinary scientists to propel the growth of dairy industry in the State. He was speaking on the occasion of Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Dr G.C. Negi College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (COVAS) at Chaudhry Sarvan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University today. The Chief Minister underlined the need to modernize undergraduate & postgraduate teaching and improving extension activities by organizing clinical camps in different parts of the State. He said that it was imperative to strengthen dairy industry and to achieve the same, trainings and motivation to rural youth was required to adopt it as a remunerative profession.

The Chief Minister, while elaborating various agricultural and livestock development programmes of the State government told that the basic motive of all the agriculture and farming policies and programmes was to strengthen the rural economy. He informed that total livestock in the State was 52.26 lakh whereas the States total human population was around 68 lakh. He said that it was worth appreciating to note that the livestock sector has been consistently contributing to the tune of almost 40 percent to the net agriculture income of the State. The Chief Minister also advocated adopting organic farming, especially in the tribal areas.

Prof Dhumal, while appreciating the college for excellent work in the past, urged the establishment to establish effective linkages with State Animal Husbandry department, so that innovative research in animal husbandry sector can be realized. “As animal husbandry generate economic opportunity to the poorest of the poor throughout the year and thus is an ideal profession to retain the rural poor

in villages, you have to make best use of your professional expertise to achieve this”, said the Chief Minister.

Dr.S.K. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, in his welcome address informed that the college has produced 573 Veterinary Graduates, 242 MVSc. and 20 Ph.D. students and has commissioned 75 research projects worth rupees eight crore. He said that 29 research projects worth Rs. 15 crore were being commissioned and the faculty has published more than 1500 research articles in national journals and 130 in International journals. He expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for sanctioning a mega-project worth Rs. 11 Crore under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) and for establishing an ‘Advanced veterinary multispecialty and farmers capacity building centre’.

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of Chamundeshwari Girls hostel-II to be constructed with a cost of Rs.1.50 crore. Funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the hostel will have 20 rooms to accommodate 60 girl students. Besides, the hostel will have a gymnasium, a multi purpose hall, waiting room and a kitchen.

Two in-house publications were also released on the occasion.