Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the resolve to build a prosperous, secure, educated and culturally enriched “Sonar Bangla” is being translated into action
Bhoomi Pujan for the world’s largest curd manufacturing plant held in Bengal today; the plant will process 10 lakh litres of milk and benefit 1.20 lakh milk-producing livestock rearers
By providing 30 acres of land to Amul free of cost, Suvendu Adhikari has enabled this major plant to become a reality and will help livestock rearers secure the highest possible price for their milk
From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Bengal, the mishti doi made in Bengal will now be enjoyed in households across the country
Such is the strength of cooperation that for every rupee spent by an Amul consumer, 87 paise goes directly into the accounts of livestock rearers
The Government of India will also establish an initiative for animal breed improvement in Bengal, with a Sex-Sorted Semen facility
Benefits of more than 70 farmer-welfare schemes of the Ministry of Cooperation will reach Bengal’s farmers within six months
Under the “Sarathi” concept, an MoU has been signed to connect Bengal’s taxis with Bharat Taxi, enabling every Sarathi to become an owner of both the vehicle and Bharat Taxi
Bengal has abundant water and fertile land — over the next 15 years, every livestock-rearing household will have at least two animals of breeds yielding 25 per cent more milk
KOLKATTA, JULY 20, 2026: Advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” and the goal of “White Revolution 2.0”, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah performed the Bhoomi Pujan for the world’s largest curd manufacturing plant under the Amul Bengal Dairy Project at a ceremony held at the New Town Convention Centre in Kolkata on Sunday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly Shankarbhai Chaudhary, West Bengal Minister of Cooperation Swapan Dasgupta, State Finance Minister Tapas Roy, Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Kalyan Chakraborty, Minister of Food Processing and Horticulture Sharadwat Mukherjee, Chief Secretary of West Bengal Manoj Kumar Agrawal, Chairman of Amul Dairy Ashok Chaudhary, several dignitaries and representatives of the cooperative sector were present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that following the victory in the Bengal Assembly elections, he had come on behalf of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to sweeten the occasion for the people of Bengal with mishti doi. He said that the change brought about by the people of Bengal was distinct from, and historic in comparison with, all Assembly elections held in the State since Independence.
Shri Amit Shah said that West Bengal has been a State that inspired almost every sphere of national life. For several decades, West Bengal remained ahead of the rest of the country in education. Bengal also produced one great freedom fighter after another during the freedom struggle. In the spheres of faith, devotion and sankirtan, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Maharshi Aurobindo established an extraordinary tradition. When it came to patriotism and dedication, Bengal, through great freedom fighters such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Khudiram Bose, never hesitated to make the supreme sacrifice.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that it was in this Bengal that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore earned global recognition, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose achieved major scientific breakthroughs, and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay gave a new direction to cultural nationalism by composing “Vande Mataram” in “Anandamath”. He said that, unfortunately, Bengal remained influenced by a foreign ideology for a long period and, after emerging from it, became trapped in an ideological vacuum, corruption and crime. As a result, the dream of “Sonar Bangla” envisioned by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore gradually faded.
Shri Amit Shah said that following Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s appeal and a decade-long struggle, and after the journey from 2016 to 2026, the movement for “Sonar Bangla” has once again been revived under the leadership of Shri Suvendu Adhikari. He assured the people of West Bengal that work has begun, under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership, to translate into reality every promise made to the people and the resolve for “Sonar Bangla” placed before them. This resolve will pave the way for building a prosperous, educated, secure and culturally enriched West Bengal.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that today marks an extremely important day for the farmers and livestock rearers of West Bengal. Amul has performed the Bhoomi Pujan for the world’s largest curd manufacturing plant here. In the first phase of the project, 10 lakh litres of milk will be processed every day, benefiting around 1.20 lakh small milk producers and livestock rearers.
Shri Amit Shah said that he had earlier requested the State Chief Minister that if two plots of 15 acres each were provided to Amul, the entire system for milk production, processing and marketing for eastern India could be operated from West Bengal. He said that the proposal was earlier rejected on the ground that Gujarat would not be allowed to enter West Bengal, even though the project was not for Gujarat but for the welfare of West Bengal’s livestock rearers and milk producers.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the change in the State is now clearly visible. At his request, Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari decided to provide 30 acres of land free of cost to the Amul Federation. This decision has paved the way for nearly 100 major investments to come to West Bengal. It will also help secure the highest possible price for the milk supplied by around 2.5 lakh livestock rearers.
Shri Amit Shah expressed confidence that from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Bengal, the mishti doi produced at the Amul Bengal Dairy Project would be consumed in households across the country, and people nationwide would bless West Bengal. He said that the cooperative movement has immense capacity to organise people, economically empower them and connect them with prosperity.
Citing Amul as an example, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the organisation, which is operating on such a large scale, has today become the world’s No. 1 cooperative institution. As many as 36 lakh women are associated with Amul. He said that this is the greatest example of the strength of cooperation and its economic potential.
Shri Amit Shah said that more than 18,600 rural dairy cooperative societies are currently associated with Amul, and Amul products reach almost every State in the country. Addressing every citizen who uses Amul products, he said that when a consumer spends Rs 100 on an Amul product, around Rs 87 goes directly to the farmer and livestock rearer.
He said that this money does not go to an industrialist or a large business house. Nearly 87 per cent of Amul’s total turnover is deposited directly and transparently into the bank accounts of livestock rearers. This is the true cooperative model, under which the person who produces the product receives the largest share of the business benefit.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that he had requested Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari to provide additional land for the expansion of Amul and the cooperative dairy sector. The Government of India will establish a major centre for animal breed improvement in West Bengal. This will enable milk producers to access improved breeds of animals with higher milk yields. A Sex-Sorted Semen facility will also be established in the State, helping increase the number of milch animals and improve dairy productivity.
Shri Amit Shah said that, with the objective of bringing prosperity to Bengal’s farmers through the cooperative movement, he had written a letter to Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari. He said that he himself was surprised by the Chief Minister’s speed of execution. His email was received in the evening, and by 9 p.m. the same day, the West Bengal Government had appointed a Liaison Officer and responded that the officer would coordinate with the Ministry of Cooperation.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has entrusted the Ministry of Cooperation with more than 70 schemes related to farmers’ welfare. Owing to the effective coordination mechanism created by Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari, the benefits of all these schemes will reach the farmers of West Bengal within the next six months.
Shri Amit Shah said that the office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies in the State has also been fully computerised today. The work had remained pending for a long time, but the new government completed it in just nine weeks. Representatives of cooperative institutions will now be able to access the services of the Registrar’s office through their mobile phones. This will enhance transparency, accountability, efficiency and speed in the functioning of the cooperative sector.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that during the programme, foundation stones were laid for 10 cooperative warehouses and warehouses with a total capacity of 1,400 metric tonnes were also inaugurated. These warehouses will provide farmers and cooperative institutions with facilities for the safe storage of their produce and help reduce distress sales at low prices.
Shri Amit Shah said that another significant new beginning has been made in West Bengal today. At present, taxi drivers are exploited by several private aggregator companies. Through “Bharat Taxi”, the Central Government has introduced the concept of the “Sarathi”. Under this arrangement, a vehicle operator will not remain merely a driver, but will also be an owner and shareholder of both the vehicle and the company. He said that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed today to connect West Bengal’s taxis with “Bharat Taxi”. As a result, no Sarathi in West Bengal will remain merely a driver; each will become a shareholder in the company, and a share of the profits earned by the company will be transferred directly to his bank account. This arrangement will provide taxi drivers with dignity, ownership and economic security.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that West Bengal possesses immense potential in agriculture and animal husbandry. In several parts of Gujarat, water once had to be drawn from a depth of 1,200 feet for irrigation and drinking purposes, whereas West Bengal enjoys the special blessings of Maa Ganga. In most places here, adequate water is available at a depth of just 100 to 200 feet. The State has fertile land and limitless potential for the expansion of animal husbandry.
Shri Amit Shah said that, unfortunately, these possibilities were not fully utilised earlier. On behalf of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari, he assured all livestock rearers in West Bengal that efforts would be made over the next 15 years to ensure that every family in the State has at least two milch animals and that the milk produced by these animals is procured through dairy cooperative institutions. He said that livestock rearers would be provided improved breeds of animals capable of producing at least 25 per cent more milk than at present. This will make animal husbandry a regular and reliable source of income for rural families and pave the way for a new White Revolution in West Bengal.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that he had been in West Bengal for the past three days. During this period, several important steps had been taken to make Bengal infiltration-free, prevent fresh infiltration, improve law and order, and ensure the safety of mothers and sisters. Shri Amit Shah said that he had closely observed Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari’s working style and speed of execution and was confident that it would not take long for West Bengal to regain its strength. He assured the people of the State that the government would fulfil all their expectations and would certainly accomplish the task of realising Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s dream of “Sonar Bangla”.
Amul is establishing the Amul Bengal Dairy Project at the Howrah Food Park in West Bengal with an investment of approximately Rs 700 crore. Once fully operational, the project will be capable of processing around 30 lakh litres of milk per day. The plant will have the capacity to produce approximately 1,000 metric tonnes, or 10 lakh kilograms, of curd and other cultured dairy products every day. With this capacity, it will be the world’s largest curd manufacturing plant. The project’s proposed daily production capacity includes 10 lakh litres of packaged milk, two lakh litres of UHT milk, one lakh litres of ice cream, 20 metric tonnes of paneer, 10 metric tonnes of ghee and 10 metric tonnes of sweets. In addition, the plant will be capable of producing around 2.5 lakh packs of flavoured milk every day. The Amul Bengal Dairy Project will expand modern processing, value addition, cold-chain and marketing facilities in West Bengal’s dairy sector. It will provide milk-producing farmers and livestock rearers with a better, transparent and stable market for their produce and help increase their incomes. The project will play an important role in strengthening dairy cooperatives in West Bengal, creating new employment and income opportunities in the rural economy, and ushering in a new chapter of the White Revolution in the State.
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