Arunachal: Aane Dairy plant in Pasighat lying non-operational since 17 months
Milk producing societies of East Siang district pleads for early re-operationalization of the plant.
- The Aane Dairy Plant with installed capacity of 2000 litres per hour was functioning well and effectively for around 18 months after it was made operational, generating around Rs. 50 lakhs earnings to around 30 milk producing co-operative societies of the district.
PASIGHAT ( By Maksam Tayeng )- The Aane Dairy Plant located at VTI complex, 2 Mile, here at Pasighat which was functioning well till Covid-19 pandemic hit the state and the country during the March 2020 last year after it was inaugurated by Dr. Mohesh Chai, former Minister, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary, Agriculture & Dairy Development on 20th September 2018 is lying non functional from last 17 months affecting the dairy farmers of East Siang district.
The Aane Dairy Plant with installed capacity of 2000 litres per hour was functioning well and effectively for around 18 months after it was made operational, generating around Rs. 50 lakhs earnings to around 30 milk producing co-operative societies of the district. Dr. Chai as Minister then had said that the government of Arunachal Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister, Pema Khadu has committed to boost the rural economy by promoting milk and dairy sector at the line of Gujarat Model. He had also said that CM has already declared for a white revolution in the state for which six dairy potential districts namely, Namsai, Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, East Siang, Papum Pare and West Kameng have been chosen where dairy related projects will be promoted.
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Advising the members of Dairy Co-operative Societies to be more active and produce more milk by rearing hybrid cows etc which would give them more returns then, Dr. Chai had also said that the next generation sector will be of agriculture & allied sectors which will give maximum jobs to the people.
To make the Aane Dairy Plant re-operational, the East Siang District Dairy Co-operative Union (ESDDCU) had written petitions to Minister and Director, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development, Government of Arunachal Pradesh praying for early re-operationalization of the plant while sanctioning adequate funds at the lines of Karsingsa in Papum Pare district and Rupa in West Kameng district.
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When contacted, Dr. Netan Dorjee Minto, Director, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development (AH, V & DD), Government of Arunachal Pradesh informed that he is trying his best to re-operationalize the Aane Dairy Plant of Pasighat at the earliest possible time. “On receiving the petition letter from ESDDCU through the MLAs of East Siang District with special mention to Ninong Ering, MLA, 37th Pasighat West, I had initiated the file for early solution and finalization of a case file in connection with a court matter related with Dr. Migo Riba, former Managing Director of Integrated Dairy Development Project (IDDP) Deptt. of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary & Dairy Development, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh who is currently under suspension due to his alleged financial mismanagement of IDDP funds sanctioned by Ministry of Agriculture Deptt. of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India. But later members of ESDDCU approached me with an intention to withdraw their petition which was an attempt to protect Dr. Migo Riba”, added Dr. ND Minto, Director, AHV & DD.
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However, Dr. ND Minto affirmed that the plant will be re-operationalized as soon as the pending case in the court with Dr. Migo Riba is over. On the question of possibility of winning the case by the department of AHV & DD, Dr. ND Minto said that the department will surely win the case as there has very less chance of Dr. Migo Riba winning the case as Riba has made forgery and cheating to mismanage the funds of the project. When asked about the possible damage of machineries in the Aane Dairy Plant, Pasighat due to long gape of running the machines, Dr. Minto said that he is taking good care of the plant by sending plant engineer to check the machineries time to time from Karsingsa, Itanagar.
It is important to mention here Dr. Migo Riba, former Managing Director of IDDP, Deptt. of AHV & DD had made huge financial mismanagement of funds in the project while fielding himself as the MD of Arunachal Pradesh Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd. (APCMPUL) with the support of forged and fake documents of meeting minutes of Dairy Cooperative Societies of East Siang district. The sources from within the members of East Siang Dairy Cooperative Union has revealed that Dr. Migo Riba in connivance and misguiding late Christopher Tayeng, former President/Chairman of East Siang Dairy Co-operative Society Association had formed APCMPUL while showing a fake meeting minutes of DCS East Siang during a meeting held on 17th-18th December 2015 at Hotel Serene. But there was no such board meeting of formation of APCMPUL held during that programme as it was an awareness programme for primary milk cooperative society members.
However, owing to his alleged mismanagement of funds, Dr. Migo Riba was suspended by the competent authority and departmental and other inquiries are being conducted against him. Due to Dr. Riba’s alleged mismanagement of funds and the case yet to cleared, the funds sanctioned by the Ministry of Agriculture Deptt. of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, New Delhi totaling about Rs. 5 Crores meant for various dairy plants of Arunachal Pradesh including Aane Dairy Plant, Pasighat couldn’t be used on time from last couple of years and hence the lapsed funds are about to be returned to the ministry. As per Dr. ND Minto, Director, AH, V & DD, the concerned Ministry is directing the Govt of Arunachal Pradesh to return the lapsed funds, but assured to allot fresh funds in due course of time.
Hence, the ground reason for non-operationalization and failure of Aane Dairy Plant is due to the alleged financial mismanagement of Dr. Migo Riba who is under suspension at present. Otherwise, the Aane Dairy Plant, Pasighat was functioning well under the active management and proper supervision of Er. Bomma Tayeng, Plant Engineer who had created enough awareness among the several primary milk producers of East Siang district by reaching out to all the potential villages. The cattle rearing of cows (Khutis) are maximum in the left and right bank of Siang river under upper and lower Mebo, Pasighat and Sille-Oyan areas as flood plains of Siang/Brahmaputra river have abundance of grasslands.
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Now the genuine and potential milk producers of East Siang district are eagerly waiting for the Aane Dairy Plant, Pasighat to get re-operationalized again soon. The office bearers of ESDDCU like Talem Goi (senior most milk producer since 1994), John Ering, Kaling Bomjen, Riju Megu and Kanak Tayeng on behalf of milk producers of East Siang district have pleaded and appealed to the state government for taking strong and determined steps to re-operationalize the Aane Dairy Plant. The proper functioning and re-operationalization of this dairy plant will not only meet the huge day to day demands of milk for the ever growing population of Pasighat, the district HQ of East Siang district which has become an smart city, but it would also boost up the poor rural economy of the district by creating several job avenues for the unemployed youths as well.
