Even as Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb faces Opposition ire for his suggestion that government job-seekers find employment in cow rearing and paan shops, he found support from none other than the milk cooperative giant Amul.

Last week at a public forum, Deb had reportedly said, "There should be a cow in every household. Milk is being sold at Rs 50 per litre in Tripura, (but) if a graduate rears a cow, he would earn Rs 10 lakh."

Speaking in support of dairy development, Amul marketer, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF)'s Managing Director, R S Sodhi said, "Dairy farming is not a bad profession. Across the world educated people get into this sector. In Gujarat, we have women milk producers who produce milk worth Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore. They are our gems. Tripura being import dependent for milk, there is a lot of scope for youth to get engaged in milk production than doing odd jobs."

Explaining the milk scenario in Tripura, BJP Kisan Morcha President Narayan Chakraborty said, "Most of the people in Tripura depend on powder milk, which costs about Rs 80 a kg. Liquid milk is available from private players in Bengal. Availability is not an issue, but dependency is. We can consider having our own dairy sector."

"No other government in the past has made any effort towards dairy development in Tripura. Our government has taken up this initiative and we are trying to make it possible. There are challenges aplenty as we don't have people who know cattle rearing, even we don't grow grass in Tripura. But all that can be addressed if we look at it as a promising employment alternate," he told BusinessLine over a phone call.

Notably, on Monday a lady cattle breeder, Kanuben Patel from Banaskantha district, was felicitated for achieving milk production worth Rs 84 lakh last year. Banas Dairy chairman Shankar Chaudhary felicitated the lady at a function held in Ahmedabad.

Reacting immediately to Deb's appeal, Sodhi termed his suggestion practical and logical, considering the milk scenario in not just Tripura but the entire North-East. A youth in Tripura can earn Rs 6-7 lakh per annum with 10 cows," Sodhi posted on a social media platform, also suggesting the government support the dairy industry with loans and subsidies.

"When everyone is flocking to urban centres, you can't provide jobs to all of them. But there is always need for milk in urban centres," he said.

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