Latest news with #Comfed
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Cabinet clears Rs2k cr for dairy, other projects
Patna: In a bid to boost dairy infrastructure, public amenities and urban connectivity, the state cabinet on Tuesday approved a series of development proposals amounting to over Rs 2,000 crore, including the installation of dairy equipment in five districts and major land acquisitions for religious and cultural projects. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now One of the key decisions was the approval of Rs 316 crore for installing dairy equipment at five locations under the Bihar State Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation (Comfed). The installations aim to enhance milk collection, cooling, processing, and milk powder production, directly benefiting farmers' groups affiliated with Comfed. "These proposals are aimed at increasing the dairy sector's contribution to the gross state domestic product (GSDP), boosting milk production, raising farmers' incomes, expanding cooperative activities and creating employment opportunities," said S Siddharth, additional chief secretary of the cabinet secretariat department. The dairy initiative, proposed by the animal and fish resources department, will be partially funded through the Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) Cluster Development Fund (SCDF) with Comfed contributing the rest. Milk collection and processing plants will be installed in Darbhanga, Wazirganj (Gaya) and Gopalganj while milk powder production units will be set up at Dehri-on-Sone (Rohtas) and Sitamarhi. Darbhanga and Wazirganj will each get 2 lakh litre-per-day (LLPD) capacity plants costing Rs 71 crore and Rs 50 crore, respectively. Gopalganj's 1 LLPD facility will cost Rs 54 crore. The milk powder plants at Dehri and Sitamarhi will have a capacity of 30 metric tonnes per day each with corresponding investments of Rs 69 crore and Rs 70 crore. The cabinet also approved the revised estimate of Rs 165 crore for acquiring 50 acres of land near the Ma Janaki Mandir at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Sitakund festival, held near Munger and known to draw both domestic and international visitors, was officially brought under the Bihar State Fair Authority. To support sanitation workers, the cabinet sanctioned the formation of the Bihar State Safaikarmi Commission. This commission will work to mainstream sanitation workers and ensure their safety and rights. Furthermore, six new positions, including chairman and vice-chairman, were created for the Bihar Youth Commission. Addressing growing water scarcity, the cabinet approved surface water supply schemes in Supaul and Kaimur districts. In Chhatapur block (Supaul), two pumping systems with a combined capacity of 31 million litres per day (MLD) will draw water from the Sursar river to serve 318 wards in 63 villages. The project, which includes five years of maintenance, will cost Rs 320 crore. In Kaimur's Aghora block, a 7.85 MLD tube well drawing from the Sone river will supply drinking water to 41 wards across seven panchayats. The total expenditure, including seven years of maintenance, is estimated at Rs 293 crore. The need for these schemes was raised during the CM's Pragati Yatra. The cabinet also approved Rs 270 crore for installing electric fittings in classrooms and facilities across primary schools under the state's ongoing school renovation programme. The work will begin this fiscal and conclude by 2026-27. An additional Rs 276 crore was cleared for the renovation of secondary and higher secondary schools. In another major decision, the cabinet sanctioned Rs 180 crore for constructing godowns with a total capacity of 2.49 lakh metric tonnes through primary agricultural credit societies (PACS). Proposed by the cooperative department, the scheme includes 50% subsidy support and the remainder as a revolving fund, repayable through profits. The godowns will be of 200, 500 and 1,000MT capacities. To improve urban mobility in Saran district, Rs 696 crore was allocated to the road construction department for building a flyover from Gandhi Chowk to Nagarpalika Chowk in Chhapra town. The project is aimed at eliminating chronic traffic congestion and ease movement. Finally, the cabinet approved a revised estimate of Rs 1,121 crore for civil and electrical works at the State Sports Academy and International Cricket Stadium in Rajgir, Nalanda district, further boosting Bihar's sports infrastructure.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Comfed charts global route as Bihar's dairy network expands
Patna: When Verghese Kurien , the father of India's White Revolution, was brought in by the Bihar govt in 1981 to revive its struggling dairy sector, few could have foreseen the transformation that would follow. What began as a floundering state initiative has grown into a thriving cooperative empire with an annual turnover of Rs 1,500 crore and profits touching Rs 40 crore. Kurien took charge of the Bihar State Dairy Corporation, originally formed in 1977-78, after its early efforts fell short of expectations. Under his stewardship, the Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation Ltd, better known as Comfed , was established in 1983. Today, Comfed's dairy products are sold under the now-iconic Sudha brand . "We are in the business of selling dairy products with dignity and responsibility," said Comfed managing director Raj Kumar. "Whatever profit we make from sales is redistributed among our farmers through various schemes. We are also planning to introduce an accidental medical scheme worth Rs 5 lakh for each farmer," he added. Highlighting Comfed's commitment to quality, Kumar said, "It is our responsibility to offer only the best to the market. For instance, we never reuse frying oil more than twice for making our gulab jamuns. Private players would not bother with such practices," he said. Sudha currently has the capacity to collect 40 lakh litres of milk daily. "We collect around 30 lakh litres every day of which 18 lakh litres are sold as liquid milk. The rest is processed into a wide range of dairy products," Kumar said. Buoyed by rising demand, Comfed is now setting its sights on international markets. "We have already begun exporting premium ghee, gulab jamun and makhana to the US through the Bihta dry port and Mundra port in Gujarat," said N Vijaya Lakshmi, principal secretary of the animal husbandry and fisheries resources department and chairperson of Comfed. "We are also eyeing the UAE market," she added. According to Lakshmi, Comfed plans to raise its daily milk collection to 45 lakh litres. "Competition is everywhere. Amul has started packaging in the state and Mother Dairy is also present with its full range. But their presence in Bihar is not alarming yet. We have the largest network with over 30,000 milk societies and that number is steadily growing," she said. On expansion beyond Bihar, Lakshmi said Comfed has set up plants in West Bengal and the NCR. "They are not running at full capacity yet, but weare closely monitoring the situation. The Delhi-NCR market is intensely competitive with 30-40 players. That said, we are performing well in the northeast. Our plant in Assam is doing exceptionally. In Jharkhand too, we are giving tough competition to other brands with our facilities in Bokaro, Ranchi and Jamshedpur. " Asked about complaints of odour in some milk packets, she said, "Milk is a perishable item. If the cold chain breaks even for a day, spoilage can occur. We regularly remind our distributors and retailers to maintain the cold chain without compromise." Comfed is also working to bring greater transparency and efficiency to its operations. "We have started registering all 30,000 of our milk societies – 100 registrations every day. We are building a comprehensive database to monitor daily collections in real time. Whether they rise or fall, we will know at the click of a button," Singh said. Reflecting on Amul's early lead in the market, Kumar said, "Amul gained traction because they have been directly transferring benefits to their farmers. We are now moving in that direction too. Earlier, Comfed disbursed funds to society secretaries, who would then distribute cash to farmers, leaving room for manipulation. Now, we are switching to direct transfers."
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
New road inaugurated to ease access to city airport
1 2 Patna: In a bid to improve connectivity to Patna airport for residents of Raja Bazar, Sheikhpura, Khajpura and BMP localities, the newly constructed Bihar Veterinary Science University Bypass Road was inaugurated on Monday. The road stretches from the Comfed office to the Mechanical Workshop. Also, the foundation stone was laid for the Kautilya Nagar Colony Road, linking Ashiana Mor to Eidgah and Nehru Path. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary officiated the event, which was chaired by road construction minister Nitin Nabin. Digha MLA Sanjiv Chaurasia was also present. Speaking after the event, Choudhary said, "The road construction department (RCD) is actively working to develop and organise Patna as well as the entire state. The department is executing projects worth approximately Rs 10,000 crore in Patna district. The Bihar govt is committed to providing good roads and easy connectivity to the public. With the inauguration of these roads, locals will be relieved from traffic congestion and will experience smoother transportation." Road construction minister Nabin said, "Patna airport has always been the city's lifeline. With the construction of this road, residents of Raja Bazar, Sheikhpura and BMP areas will have better connectivity to the airport. Chaurasia has also consistently worked towards the construction of this road. Patna airport is now ready with new arrangements and PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the airport on May 4. Considering this, the road has been inaugurated to facilitate easier access for the people of the city to the airport," he added. The 0.774-km Veterinary University bypass was constructed at a cost of Rs 8 crore under the New Capital road division. Footpaths and drains have been built on both sides of the road. The new bypass will provide an alternative route for travellers heading towards the airport, Phulwarisharif, Jagdeo Path and Nehru Path, thereby easing overall traffic flow. Foundation stone was also laid for the construction and widening of a 1.6-km stretch of road costing Rs 5.93 crore, covering Kautilya Nagar Colony Path from Ashiana Mod-BMP Path to Eidgah and from Nehru Path Pillar No. 28 to Ashiana BMP Path via Jagadanand Singh's residence.
