Dalit Bandhu to propel auto, dairy industries' growth

Hyderabad: As the beneficiaries of the Dalit Bandhu scheme are showing interest in utilising the money promised to them for purchase of mini trucks, cabs, tractors, setting up small dairy farms and small milk producing units, companies dealing in these sectors are assessing the potential of giving a boost to sales of their products in the State.

The dairy equipment manufacturing units mainly freezers and dairy products have been approaching the State Animal Husbandry department offering to supply required machinery to the beneficiaries.

Officials said that majority of the beneficiaries were keen to buy tractors and other commercial transportation vehicles. Some of them also requested the government to buy mini-buses which could be operated as school or passenger vehicles in the fast-growing Karimangar district.

This has attracted many automobile manufacturing companies in India to send their representatives to the Huzurabad district to study the potential in vehicle sale growth in the coming days. Some are said to have approached Minister for Industries KT Rama Rao to understand the concept of the scheme.

The commercial vehicle manufacturing companies which are showing keen interest are TATA, Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki and some tractor manufacturing units from north India.

Similarly, companies manufacturing equipment required for curd, paneer, pasteurised milk production which includes freezers, cream separators, milk boilers, milk chilling plants and curd-making machines are also trying to find out the business potential.

Fodder manufacturing units expect huge growth in the sales if the beneficiaries are encouraged to establish dairy farms.

The State Government has targeted to spend at least Rs 30,000 crore on the Dalit Bandhu scheme every year. The automobile and dairy farm equipment manufacturing units are estimating that there was possibility of at least Rs 10,000-crore businesses in the State this financial year.