Dehradun: The battalions of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) located in the border districts of Uttarakhand were dependent on big cities for the supply of mutton, chicken and fish till October 2024. However, this is not the case now. On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, now the Uttarakhand Animal Husbandry Department has made a contract by directly contacting the local livestock farmers through ITBP. After this, 253 farmers from 4 border districts started business with ITBP from the first 5 months. This opened their luck. Farmers have done a business of Rs 2.6 crore with ITBP in the last few months. CM Dhami said that this scheme has got very positive results, this will increase the income of the farmers of the border as well as reduce migration towards villages. Will strengthen the country’s defense line: CM Dhami
The Chief Minister said that along with this, he will work with the ITBP to strengthen the country’s defense line. Fresh food items will also be delivered to the ITBP. The Animal Husbandry Department duly signed a contract with the government on October 30 regarding this scheme. Under this, 253 farmers associated with 10 cooperative societies and FPOs of Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Champawat districts are supplying live mutton, chicken and fish to the nearest battalion of ITBP.
20 crore turnover expected
In the first five months of the scheme, these farmers have supplied a total of 79,530 kg (42,748 kg of live sheep and goat, 29,407 kg of chicken and 7,374 kg of trout fish) to the ITBP. Animal Husbandry Department Secretary Dr. BVRC Purushottam said that under the scheme, farmers are being paid through DBT within 24 hours of supply. For this, the department has set up a revolving fund of Rs 5 crore. He said that under this scheme, 800 metric tonnes of mutton, chicken and fish are expected to be supplied to the ITBP annually, due to which farmers are expected to have a total turnover of about Rs 20 crore.
There will be a significant change in the livelihood of farmers
According to Purushottam, this will bring a significant change in the livelihood of marginal farmers. Narendra Prasad, a resident of Baralu village of Moonakot block of Pithoragarh district, is also supplying chicken to the ITBP since January. He told that he started poultry farming under the Poultry Farming Scheme of Animal Husbandry in 2022-23. At present, he supplies about 16 quintals of chicken per month, out of which three quintals are also supplied to the ITBP. Similarly, Prakash Kohli, a resident of Devdar village of Moonakot block, has also supplied 11 quintals of goat to the ITBP since January 2025. This has benefited him by Rs 50 thousand. Seeing the benefit of the scheme, he is also applying in Bakri Valley.
