Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, 3 October set an ambitious target of raising Madhya Pradesh's milk production to 50 crore litres within the next three years, calling for modern dairy infrastructure and scientific improvement of cattle breeds to power the state's livestock economy. The announcement came at a state-level Gopalak Sammelan held at BHEL Dussehra Maidan in Bhopal, attended by approximately 35,000 cattle rearers and dairy cooperative members drawn from across the state.

Key Announcements at the Sammelan

Shah described the gathering as 'an auspicious sign of a White Revolution in Madhya Pradesh,' framing the 50 crore litre target as a cornerstone of rural economic uplift. He called for dedicated work on a 50-acre tract of land for breed improvement and the creation of modern livestock facilities. The minister also announced that a scheme enabling farmers to earn income from cow dung would be introduced in Madhya Pradesh in the near future — a step he said would directly benefit rural communities.

Infrastructure Projects Launched

The Bhopal event served as the launchpad for a series of dairy infrastructure investments across the state. Shah virtually laid the foundation stone for a ₹255 crore milk processing plant in Ujjain, with a daily processing capacity of 3 lakh litres. A 40,000-litre-per-day Product Dairy Plant in Bhopal, built at a cost of ₹16.5 crore, was formally inaugurated alongside a state-level central dairy laboratory valued at ₹12.42 crore. Strengthening work on a mini dairy plant in Shivpuri, costing ₹6.5 crore, was also launched at the event.

Financial Support for Cooperatives and Gaushalas

During the programme, ₹101 crore was disbursed as financial assistance to gaushalas, while ₹15.10 crore in dividends was distributed among members of dairy cooperative societies. Bonus payments were additionally made to members of the Bhopal and Indore milk unions. Shah emphasised that strengthening cooperative infrastructure was essential for expanding organised dairy output and improving returns for milk producers, particularly women in rural areas.

White Revolution 2.0 and National Context

Shah assured the Madhya Pradesh government that the Centre has been actively promoting what it terms 'White Revolution 2.0' through dairy cooperatives, with the stated objectives of increasing milk procurement, widening cooperative coverage, and reinforcing the rural economy. He noted that Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat are currently leading the country in milk production, attributing the performance to coordinated policy support from both the Centre and state governments. This comes amid a broader national push to expand India's dairy sector, which already ranks among the world's largest by volume. Notably, the Gopalak Sammelan format — convening cattle rearers at scale — mirrors similar cooperative mobilisation drives seen in Gujarat under the Amul model, which Shah has repeatedly cited as a template for replication.

The minister also underscored the nutritional dimension of the dairy push, stating that expanded milk production would contribute meaningfully to the fight against malnutrition in the state. All eyes are now on the timeline for the promised cow-dung income scheme and the pace of commissioning of the newly launched infrastructure projects.