ITBP To Procure Fresh Items From Border Villagers In Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand cabinet approved a proposal to supply meat, chicken and fish to ITBP the local breeders of Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts.

Dehradun: From now on, cattle breeders of Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi and Chamoli will supply meat to the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police). The decision for it was taken in the cabinet meeting at Uttarakhand secretariat, Dehradun on Wednesday. An MoU will be signed with the Uttarakhand government and ITBP soon.

The government came up with a scheme to improve the economic condition of the people living in the border districts. Under this, ITBP battalions will not only be able to get the daily supply of mutton, chicken and fish easily but there will also be a trade of around Rs 200 crore in these districts, which will boost the financial condition of the people.

On September 7 last year, then ITBP DG Anish Dayal Singh met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to discuss the matter and Dhami expressed his desire that ITBP should buy those items from the locals.

The animal husbandry department prepared the plan on the instructions of CM's secretary Shailesh Bagauli under which 10,000 sheep and goat farmers of Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarkashi will supply mutton to the ITBP battalion.

Along with this, 1,000 farmers will supply broilers and country chickens and 500 farmers will provide fish to the battalion.

Department secretary BVRC Purushottam said the scheme would generate a Rs 200-crore trade, improving the economic condition of the locals. No name has been given for this scheme yet, but mutton, chicken and fish will be provided to the ITBP battalion through cooperative society. At present, it has been decided to procure supplies from three districts. If there is any shortfall in supply, other districts would be roped in.

The state government provided Rs 5 crore to the animal husbandry department so that the payment could be made within two days. Another Rs 4 crore has been set aside for subsidising the cheaper rates at which the ITPB will procure the fresh stock.