Sanchi brand 'decline' after NDDB merger: Jitu Patwari

Time of India

4 hours ago

HighlightsCongress state unit chief Jitu Patwari has raised concerns about the decline of Madhya Pradesh's flagship dairy brand 'Sanchi' following its merger with the National Dairy Development Board. Patwari reported a drop in milk collection by the Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Dairy Federation, stating that total milk collection from Indore decreased from 94,496 kilograms in 2023-24 to 85,438 kilograms in 2024-25. He urged Union Home and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah to take action to revitalize the 'Sanchi' brand and improve the conditions for milk-producing farmers affected by government neglect.
Congress state unit chief Jitu Patwari has written to Union home and cooperative minister Amit Shah, raising alarm over what he termed the rapid decline of the state's flagship dairy brand 'Sanchi' following its merger with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
In a letter to Shah, he said the merger has neither benefited consumers of Sanchi products nor the farmers supplying milk to the MP State Cooperative Dairy Federation. He accused the state govt of neglecting the brand. Patwari wrote at the time of merger, CM Mohan Yadav had announced that the share of MP in overall milk production of the country would be raised from 9 per cent to 20 per cent and "you, too, had given direction to the MP govt to take the target seriously".
The Congress leader, however, regretted that it has turned out to be an 'airy' target while the situation on the ground is just the opposite.
Patwari claimed that the milk collection by the federation has in fact declined. While the total milk collection from Indore was 94,496 Kg in 2023-24, it reduced to 85,438 Kg in 2024-25. Similarly, the sale of milk has also dipped from 1.56 lakh litre to 1.51 litre. The committees of milk producing farmers also reduced from 385 to 362. The 'Sanchi Parlour' scheme, too, was in a bad shape as 257 applications for setting up a parlour are pending in Indore division itself.
Only 57 of them have been accepted and only 31 have opened. In Indore city , 74 applications are pending and only 1 has been accepted.
The 'neglect' of Sanchi brand by the govt has "obliquely promoted the private milk brands and they have launched milk and several milk products in the market. It's not only damaging the brand value of 'Sanchi' but also leading to 'exploitation' of milk-producing farmers", he said.
Patwari alleged that the milk-producing farmers in place of getting remunerative prices for the milk and becoming economically self-sufficient are being driven into economic crisis due to neglect by the state government and bureaucracy.
While stating that as cooperative minister, Shah was supposed to strengthen the cooperative bodies all over the country, Patwari said he should not "mutely see a historic cooperative movement like 'Sanchi' go to ruins".
He also suggested steps to the union cooperative minister to improve the 'Sanchi brand including formation of an independent panel to examine the actual state of affairs at MP Milk Federation, disposal of application for setting up of 'Sanchi' parlour all over the state in a time-bound manner, review the role of NDDB in collection of milk, its price determination and its distribution network and make the entire process transparent.
Besides, the government should be asked to explain why the milk production is not increasing despite announcement of the chief minister, Patwari said. He urged the union cooperative minister to "save" Sanchi brand from decline in the overall interest of the country's cooperative movement.