Dairy plan for STs on the anvil: Satyavathi Rathod

Mahabubabad: Plans are afoot for promoting dairy development in Mahabubabad and Dornakal constituencies, Minister for Women Development and Tribal Welfare Satyavathi Rathod revealed in a video-conference on Thursday.

The Tribal Welfare Minister said that the Rs 10-crore dairy development project that gives a fillip to the tribals would be launched in Mahabubabad and Dornakal on a pilot basis. Later, the project would be implemented in other areas where the tribal population is predominant, she added.

Distribution of milch cattle to tribal dairy farmers and conversion of single phase electricity supply to three phase and other works would be taken up with Rs 163.67-crore tribal special development funds, the minister said.

The conversion of electricity supply from single phase to three phase in 2,221 Girijan villages would be taken up with an estimated cost of Rs 117.82 crore initially, Rathod said. In all, the government has allocated Rs 300 crore for the purpose, she added.

The minister directed the Tribal Welfare Department Commissioner and Secretary Christina Z Chongthu, Finance Department Secretary Sridevi, NPDCL CMD Annamaneni Gopal Rao, TSIDC Director Vidyasagar and other officials to ensure the plans were implemented as early as possible.