Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for Banas Dairy Sankul in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh today, December 23. The move is expected to strengthen rural economy and boost income of the farmers of the region.

“Strengthening India’s dairy sector is one of the top priorities of our government. In this series, the foundation stone of Banas Kashi Sankul has been laid here today,” said PM Modi in his address.

Named after Prime Minister Modi’s home district Banaskantha in Gujarat, the Banas Dairy is Uttar Pradesh’s third milk processing unit set up in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. The other two plants are in Jaunpur and Lucknow.

The foundation stone of the Banas Dairy was laid at the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority food park in the Karkhiyaon area of Varanasi.

This project is expected to benefit thousands of local farmers in villages of Purvanchal region including Varanasi, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Mirzapur. “When this modern plant will get ready, it will benefit farmers of Shivpuri, Shivpur, Sevapuri, Rohania, Gazipur, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Balia, Azamgarh, Mau and more such districts,” said PM Modi.

Spread over about 12 hectares of land, the construction of the dairy is expected to cost about Rs 4,750 million. According to a government statement dated December 21, the Banas Dairy in Varanasi will have a facility for processing 500,000 litre of milk per day.

Apart from milk, this plant will also produce ice-creams, curd, butter-milk, paneer and cookies.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also digitally transferred a bonus of about Rs 350 million to the bank accounts of more than 175,000 milk producers (Rs 2,000 each) associated with the Banas Dairy.

22 projects launched

Among 22 projects launched today in Varanasi, PM laid the foundation stone for a biogas-based electricity generation plant for a Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union plant in Varanasi Ramnagar. It is expected to be a key step towards making the plant energy self-sufficient.

In a bid to reduce land ownership issues at the grassroot level, the Prime Minister also virtually distributed the rural residential rights record Gharauni, under the Swamitva scheme of the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, to over 2.1 million residents of Uttar Pradesh.

These projects “will further strengthen the ongoing 360 degree transformation of Varanasi,” read a statement dated December 23 by the Prime Minister Office.

Today’s visit is one of the several visits by the Prime Minister to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022. He had inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project during his last visit to Varanasi on December 13.