Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sought the fruitful intervention of entrepreneurs of the industry to help set up the business plan for cow related byproducts such as urine, cow dung which can be useful as a pesticide for organic farming. This advice has come in midst when trend of organic farming is gaining momentum nationwide.
“Cows are not only beneficial for milk production, their dung and urine are useful in producing organic fertilisers and pesticides. I request you all to help establish cowsheds in the state”, a source quoted Nitish Kumar as speaking to the industrialists in a closed door meeting.
This statement has given a mixed set of reactions. Some of the industrialists have expressed shock over as they feel it is not the job of industrialists to open cowsheds. It seems he has given up on bringing investments to the state, said an industrialist on condition of anonymity. Though industrialists on board tried to figure out that the statement by CM was made in a lighter sense or was a serious suggestion.
“I visit cowshed every morning,” says Nitish Kumar
On one hand, the meeting was said to lose its serious outlook whereas, on the other, Bihar Industries Association president, K.P.S. Keshri pointed out remarks of Nitish Kumar as a straightforward suggestion to entrepreneurs. In conversation with Newsd, he quoted Bihar CM and said, “As we all know milk processing is a profitable business, we should go for vermicompost, pesticides from cow urine. Independently establishing cowshed can be a profitable business.” It seems suggestion of chief minister was based on broadening of the milk processing sector and utilizing byproducts of the cow.
Bihar’s business community demand better security
Apart from Nitish Kumar, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, industries minister Jai Kumar Singh, representatives of various trade and industry bodies such as Bihar Industries Association president K.P.S. Keshri, Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry president P.K. Agrawal, CII Bihar president P.K. Sinha, and Assocham Bihar region chief Ram Lall Khetan, were present at the meeting.
One must note that in practice Nitish Kumar keeps eight cows and six calves at his residence in Patna. His inclination towards cattle rearing saw the light of the day in past during first foundation day celebrations of Bihar Veterinary Science University where he said- I’m myself a go palak (one who rears cows). The first thing I do after getting up is visit the cowshed at my residence.
Nitish Kumar, as an ally with the RJD and Congress, adamantly took stand in favour of having cowshed for abandoned cattle and had offered to start a special cowshed also. Vision of Bihar’s chief minister on cattle and streamlining business based on its byproducts may have some future in the state.
