Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated various dairy infrastructure and cooperative initiatives for the Union Territory in Leh, Ladakh. On this occasion, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri S. P. Singh Baghel and Shri George Kurian, and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Shri Vinay Kumar Saxena were also present.
Addressing the gathering, the Union Home and Cooperation Minister said that under the cooperative model envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, multiple programmes are being implemented simultaneously in Ladakh. He said that today, in a high-altitude region like Kargil, the foundation stone has been laid for a dairy plant with a capacity of 10 TLPD (10,000 litres per day). Women of Kargil can bring prosperity into their lives through this dairy plant, support their families, and become self-reliant. Shri Shah said that he comes from a region where women, through similar small dairy initiatives, have achieved a turnover of ₹1,25,000 crore. He expressed confidence that women here too have the potential to contribute to their families and children’s education. He said that the new ₹25 crore project will prove to be a blessing for the mothers and sisters of Kargil. The Cooperation Minister also said that daily production has begun at the milk plant already operating in Leh.
Shri Amit Shah said that ITBP and the Army are major buyers in Ladakh, with around 18,000 soldiers stationed at the borders. He expressed confidence that their requirements of milk, curd, and paneer will be met by this plant. He further stated that a mobile laboratory costing ₹45 lakh has also been launched, which will greatly help in maintaining milk quality. He said that the Android-based AMCS app has also been launched, enabling dairy farmers to transparently monitor their milk accounts on a single platform. This will also boost their confidence. He added that the five livestock farmers who were honoured today are an inspiration for all livestock farmers of Kargil and Leh.
Shri Amit Shah said that Ladakh Milk Federation and Mother Dairy have signed an agreement, which will connect Ladakh to national markets. He said that Ladakh’s organic products should get access to the large market of Delhi. He urged the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to facilitate a tripartite MoU with the National Cooperative Organic Limited. He added that while Mother Dairy products should be sold here, arrangements should also be made for marketing Ladakh’s products across the country through Mother Dairy and other cooperatives.
The Union Cooperation Minister said that dairy infrastructure in Ladakh will be expanded further. A new plant with a capacity of 50,000 litres per day will be established in Leh at a cost of ₹70 crore. This will tap the growing potential in Leh and will also complement the Kargil plant as milk production increases. Efforts will be made to provide high-yield breeds of cows and buffaloes suited to the region’s climate. Approximately 500 such animals will be provided annually to boost milk production. He noted that Ladakh has extreme cold conditions and low oxygen levels, so research-based animal breeds suited to these conditions will be introduced. He said there is a plan to nearly triple the livestock population over the next 10 years and expressed confidence that people will respond positively. He added that after the agreement between Ladakh Milk Federation and NDDB, the network has reached 28 villages with about 1700 milk producers connected. He urged NDDB to expand its reach to as many villages as possible where animal husbandry is feasible and improve the livelihoods of livestock farmers.
Shri Amit Shah said that daily milk procurement has reached around 7000 kilolitres and should be increased to 21,000 kilolitres in the next four years to enhance farmers’ prosperity. He also mentioned that an existing dairy plant has been upgraded and its capacity doubled from 5 TLPD to 10 TLPD. The MoU with the Army will further benefit it.
He said that since 2014, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, there has been a major transformation in India’s livestock and dairy sector, with several revolutionary reforms in the animal husbandry sector.
He stated that India’s milk production was 146 million tonnes in 2014–15. From independence till 2014–15, it reached 146 million tonnes in 70 years, but from 2014–15 to 2024–25, it increased to 248 million tonnes. This means a 70% increase in just 10 years, with 50% of that growth in the last 5 years. He added that per capita milk availability has increased from 307 grams in 2013–14 to 485 grams now.
He said that India has achieved this through 2,36,000 cooperative societies and nearly 2 crore milk producers. A target has been set to establish 75,000 new milk societies in five years, and efforts are being made to modernize 46,000 existing ones. Out of the 75,000, 21,000 new societies have already been formed.
The Union Cooperation Minister urged the Ladakh administration to tap the potential of every village where dairy and animal husbandry are feasible. He added that cooperative societies related to pashmina, organic products, and honey will also be established in the coming days.
Shri Amit Shah said that making Ladakh a Union Territory was a long-standing demand of the people of Leh-Ladakh and Kargil, primarily due to lack of development earlier. He said that after becoming a UT in 2019, Ladakh now has seven districts and 193 panchayats. Five new districts—Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass—have recently been notified. Local languages have also been given administrative importance, including Bhoti, Purgi, Urdu, Hindi, and English. He added that road length has increased from 1,800 km to 4,040 km, bridges from 19 to 72, mobile towers from 344 to 653, helipads from 7 to 41, snow removal machines from 7 to 215, electrified villages from 145 to 184, and distribution transformers from 1,182 to 3,153.
He said that since becoming a Union Territory, Ladakh has been a focus area for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, resulting in extensive development. Zoji La pass, which used to remain closed for 127 days, was closed for only 19 days this year. The Kargil-Zanskar road, earlier closed for 154 days, remained closed for just 11 days. Significant improvements have been made due to snow clearance machinery and infrastructure. Work on Zoji La tunnel is in progress, and Shinkula tunnel work has begun. A new civilian airport is under construction. VSAT connectivity has been provided to all panchayats, and major work has been done to upgrade to 4G towers. Sindhu Central University has been established. 174 ICT labs, 230 smart classrooms, 40 astronomy labs, and 24 Atal Tinkering Labs have been set up. Ladakh is set to become a fully literate administrative unit by 2024. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, about 98% households have been connected with water supply. Significant work has also been done in agriculture and horticulture.
The Union Home Minister said that along with development, people must also embrace cooperatives and new opportunities. He said Ladakh’s budget has reached ₹6,000 crore, compared to ₹1,000 crore when it was part of Jammu & Kashmir.
He added that the Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation has been established to boost industrial development. He said the goal is to make this border region self-reliant. He expressed gratitude to the people of Ladakh and Kargil, stating that whenever India faced threats at the border, they bravely defended the nation. He said the entire country recognizes Ladakh’s patriotism and sacrifices and remains deeply grateful.