Focus on breeding more ‘desi’ cows to boost milk production:

Khattar New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar LalKhattar today pitched for breeding ‘desi’ (indigenous) cows toboost the production of milk and said the state will set upadditional centres for this purpose. "We want to increase (the number of) desi (indigenous)cows. Our cows produced good-quality milk earlier too and thathas its (own) importance. We want to promote A2 milk (cow’smilk that contains only the A2 type of beta-casein protein),"Khattar said while talking to reporters after his meeting withUnion Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi over Haryana’s concernsrelating to Waqf Amendment Act. "A centre has been set up in Kurukshetra to commercialiseA2 milk and we are going to set up more such centres topromote the desi cow’s milk which is beneficial for health,"he said. Replying to a question over reports that the Haryanagovernment will tag indigenous cows after testing their DNA,the chief minister said the programme "is not about DNAtesting, but promoting A2 milk". Khattar, a former RSS member, though refrained fromcommenting on Sangh’s chief Mohan Bhagwat’s controversialremark related to Hindu population. "The heads of social organisations have a visionarythinking. Only he (Bhagwat) can comment on that issue, Icannot," he said. About his meeting with Naqvi at CGO complex here, Khattarsaid he discussed issues raised by state’s Waqf propertieslessees related to amendments in the Waqf Act and said theparleys were "positive". Minister of State for Minority Affairs Naqvi, whoaccompanied Khattar, said concerns raised by the ChiefMinister were "genuine" and that the Union government willreview them. "Also, we want to develop some big projects (in the state)and we requested the Chief Minister to allot us some land toconstruct them. I am happy, soon you will see some bigprojects by the Minority Affairs Ministry and the Haryanagovernment rolling," he said. The Haryana government recently launched pasteurised A2milk, produced by indigenous cows. The Kurukshetra plant canprocess 5,000 litres of milk. Khattar also lauded wrestler Sakshi Malik, who bagged abronze medal at Rio Olympics, saying she has made not only thestate, but the entire country proud. "When she comes, she will be welcomed in a big way," hesaid. PTI ENM GVS ZMNGVS