Gandhinagar, May 17 Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that Gujarat's dairy cooperative network was transferring nearly Rs 200 crore every day into the bank accounts of women livestock rearers, describing the dairy sector as "one of the largest drivers of women's economic empowerment in rural India".
Speaking at the inauguration of Madhur Dairy's new milk processing plant at Dashela in Gandhinagar district, Union Minister Shah said that around 36 lakh women in Gujarat were connected with milk production and cooperative dairy activities.
"Thirty-six lakh women in Gujarat produce nearly three crore litres of milk every day and almost Rs 200 crore is deposited daily into their accounts," the Union Minister noted during his address.
He said the dairy sector had transformed the economic position of women in rural households.
Recalling his own experiences from Mansa, where he was born, Union Minister Shah said that he had witnessed social changes before and after dairy cooperatives became active in villages.
"There was a time when women worked hard but did not have financial independence. Today, because of the dairy sector, women have become the heads of their households," he added.
Union Minister Shah said the cooperative structure ensured that profits directly reached women engaged in milk production.
"Because of the cooperative sector, this profit directly reaches the bank account of the woman who milks the cows and buffaloes," he added.
He said that the regular flow of payments through dairy cooperatives had improved financial stability in villages.
"Salaries are deposited every seventh day, and I have personally seen in my village the atmosphere of happiness this creates in homes," Union Minister Shah added.
The Union Home Minister said the scale of dairy payments in Gujarat reflected the strength of the cooperative system.
"If you tell this to any big industrialist, his eyes will widen," he remarked, while referring to the daily transfer of Rs 200 crore to women livestock rearers.
Union Minister Shah also highlighted the role of technology in the dairy sector and referred to the recently launched AI digital assistant "Sarlaben", introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an AI summit.
He said the platform was designed to support women involved in agriculture and livestock rearing, especially in villages.
"It has been designed in such a simple way that even women in small villages can use it easily," he added.
The programme was attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and other cooperative sector representatives, dairy officials and farmers.
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