MP Congress flags dairy cooperative decline ahead of Amit Shah's Bhopal visit
Synopsis
As Union Minister Amit Shah arrives in Bhopal for a flagship Gopalak Sammelan, the MP Congress has dropped a data challenge: dairy cooperative societies have reportedly shrunk by over 2,300 and membership by nearly 60,000 in five years. The timing is pointed — and the government's response to these figures will be the real story of Shah's visit.
Key Takeaways
MP Congress president Jitu Patwari claims dairy cooperative societies fell from 7,811 in 2019-20 to 5,502 in 2024-25 .
Cooperative membership reportedly declined from 2.68 lakh to 2.09 lakh over the same period.
Union Minister Amit Shah is on a 23-hour Bhopal visit beginning Friday night, 2 October , with a Gopalak Sammelan on Saturday for 35,000+ farmers.
Shah is set to inaugurate a fermented dairy products plant and distribute bonuses under the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Kamdhenu Yojana .
The state signed an agreement with NDDB in 2025 targeting daily milk procurement of 20 lakh kg , up from 10.50 lakh kg .
Congress demands transparency on farm-gate versus consumer milk price differentials and a concrete plan to raise dairy farmer incomes.
The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Friday, 2 October 2025, raised pointed questions about the deterioration of the state's dairy cooperative network, demanding accountability from the ruling government — a day before Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah's scheduled 23-hour visit to Bhopal. The challenge centres on the declining health of the Sanchi dairy system, long considered the backbone of milk procurement in Madhya Pradesh.
The Numbers Congress Is Citing
State Congress president Jitu Patwari claimed in a media statement that the number of dairy cooperative societies in Madhya Pradesh dropped from 7,811 in 2019-20 to 5,502 in 2024-25 — a fall of over 2,300 societies in five years. Membership in these cooperatives, he added, shrank from 2.68 lakh to approximately 2.09 lakh over the same period.
'Who is responsible for this decline, and what is the present situation?' Patwari asked in his statement. He also sought a status update on the state's agreement with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), signed in 2025, which set a target of scaling daily milk procurement from 10.50 lakh kg to 20 lakh kg.
What Shah Is Coming to Bhopal For
Shah, who holds both the Home and Cooperation portfolios at the Centre, is scheduled to arrive in Bhopal on Friday night and will attend a state-level Gopalak Sammelan at the BHEL Dussehra Ground on Saturday, where over 35,000 cattle rearers and dairy cooperative members are expected to participate.
At the event, Shah is set to distribute bonuses to dairy farmers associated with the Bhopal and Indore milk unions, provide assistance to gaushalas, honour Gopalak Didis, and distribute sanction letters under the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Kamdhenu Yojana. He will also inaugurate a fermented dairy products plant at the Bhopal Cooperative Milk Union premises, according to the state government.
His itinerary further includes a foundation stone-laying ceremony for the IISER Atri campus near Bhauri, the Bhopal Western Bypass, and an exhibition related to the new criminal laws.
Congress Raises Farmers' Income, Not Just Infrastructure
Patwari argued that inaugurating plants and laying foundation stones does not constitute development unless it translates into better incomes for dairy farmers. He flagged regional disparities in milk prices and demanded transparency about the gap between what consumers pay and what farmers actually receive.
'The farmer needs a fair milk price, timely payment and a strong cooperative system. Building plants cannot be the measure of development unless the income of dairy farmers increases,' Patwari said.
He also raised concerns about rising input costs — fodder, cattle feed, medicines, veterinary care, and labour — and demanded a concrete plan from the state government to improve producer incomes.
Context and What to Watch
The Congress offensive is timed to extract maximum political visibility from Shah's high-profile visit. Madhya Pradesh, ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has positioned its dairy and cooperative push as a rural welfare priority. The NDDB agreement and Kamdhenu Yojana are among its flagship rural programmes. Critics argue, however, that headline infrastructure investments risk obscuring structural erosion at the grassroots cooperative level.
How the state government responds to Patwari's specific data points — particularly on cooperative membership decline — will be closely watched as Shah takes the stage at the Gopalak Sammelan on Saturday.
Point of View
It is asking the government to reconcile its own data. If cooperative membership has contracted by nearly 60,000 in five years, inaugurating a new dairy plant looks like addition at the top while the foundation erodes. The Gopalak Sammelan is a legitimate political platform, but the NDDB milk-procurement target — a near-doubling from 10.50 to 20 lakh kg per day — will be impossible to achieve with fewer cooperatives and fewer members. Madhya Pradesh's dairy policy risk is not ambition; it is the growing gap between infrastructure investment and grassroots institutional health that nobody in power seems to be measuring publicly.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the MP Congress questioning the dairy cooperative decline now?
The MP Congress timed its statement to coincide with Union Minister Amit Shah's visit to Bhopal on 2-3 October, during which Shah is set to address a major dairy farmers' convention. Congress president Jitu Patwari cited data showing cooperative societies fell from 7,811 to 5,502 and membership dropped by nearly 60,000 between 2019-20 and 2024-25, demanding accountability before the government's showcase event.
What is the Gopalak Sammelan that Amit Shah is attending in Bhopal?
The Gopalak Sammelan is a state-level convention of cattle rearers and dairy cooperative members being held at the BHEL Dussehra Ground in Bhopal on 3 October. More than 35,000 participants are expected. Shah will distribute bonuses to farmers, provide gaushala assistance, and inaugurate a fermented dairy products plant at the Bhopal Cooperative Milk Union.
What is the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Kamdhenu Yojana?
The Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Kamdhenu Yojana is a Madhya Pradesh government scheme under which sanction letters for dairy and cattle-rearing support are distributed to beneficiaries. Shah is scheduled to hand out sanction letters under this scheme at the Gopalak Sammelan on Saturday.
What is the NDDB agreement and what does it target?
Madhya Pradesh signed an agreement with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 2025, with a stated goal of scaling daily milk procurement in the state from 10.50 lakh kg to 20 lakh kg. Congress has sought details on progress made under this pact given the reported decline in cooperative membership.
What else is on Amit Shah's Bhopal itinerary besides the dairy event?
Beyond the Gopalak Sammelan, Shah's 23-hour Bhopal visit includes the foundation stone-laying for the IISER Atri campus near Bhauri and the Bhopal Western Bypass, as well as an exhibition related to new criminal laws enacted by the Centre.
