Cooperative Minister Mahadev Naik distributed the grant sanction letters at a ceremony in the Thrift Cooperative Society Hall, Varkhandem-Ponda. He said, “To bring about development of milk producers, farmers, other cooperative societies, the government has also formulated several schemes that they should avail to increase their production.”
He further said the government was planning to set up a mineral water plant in the premises of Sanjeevani sugar factory, Dharbandora, as the area had a lot of unused land and ample water resources. The plant would help generate income and employment. The sugar factory’s machinery – some of which were more than 40 years old – would also be upgraded.
Naik also assured to provide 1,200 jobs with a minimum payment of Rs 7,500 to women from Shiroda constituency through the garment industry.
The grants to dairy cooperative societies ranged from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh. The societies that supplied over 500 litres per day were given Rs 1.5 lakh, those that supplied around 300 to 500 litres were provided Rs 1 lakh, and those that supplied 150 to 300 were given Rs 75,000.
Societies that completed 50 years were also given a financial incentive of Rs 2 lakh. They included a cooperative society from Panjim and two from Ponda.
