Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday virtually laid the foundation stone for what is set to become the world’s largest curd production plant, marking a major milestone for West Bengal’s dairy sector. The facility, which is part of the ₹700-crore Amul Bengal Dairy Project, will be established at the Howrah Food Park in Sankrail, Howrah, and is expected to significantly enhance milk processing capacity while creating new opportunities for dairy farmers across the state.
The upcoming plant will have the capacity to process up to 30 lakh litres of milk and produce 10 lakh litres of curd every day, making it the largest facility of its kind globally. The project is expected to benefit around 1.2 lakh small dairy farmers and cattle rearers, providing them with a stable market for their produce and strengthening the rural dairy economy.
Addressing a gathering at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in Kolkata, Shah described the project as an important step towards improving the livelihoods of farmers and fulfilling commitments made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The event was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and senior government officials.
Shah said the dairy project reflects the government’s commitment to agricultural development and rural prosperity. He noted that the initiative would help integrate thousands of livestock farmers into a larger cooperative network while strengthening dairy infrastructure in eastern India.
The Home Minister also criticised the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, alleging that it had prevented Gujarat-based dairy cooperative Amul from entering West Bengal despite repeated requests for land. According to Shah, the earlier government declined to allocate two plots of 15 acres each for the project, delaying the expansion of dairy infrastructure in the region.
He asserted that the project had become possible only after the political change in the state, adding that the present BJP-led government promptly agreed to provide land free of cost for the Amul Federation. Shah maintained that the initiative is aimed at improving the welfare of West Bengal’s livestock farmers rather than serving the interests of any particular state.
Referring to the BJP’s recent electoral victory in West Bengal, Shah said he had come on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate the occasion by bringing prosperity to the state through initiatives such as the Amul project. He expressed confidence that the development would contribute to the long-term vision of a prosperous “Sonar Bangla.”
During his address, Shah also spoke about West Bengal’s historical contribution to education, culture, spirituality and the freedom movement. He alleged that decades of governance under the Left Front and later the TMC had slowed the state’s progress, while expressing hope that the new administration would restore its developmental momentum.
Apart from the dairy project, Shah laid the foundation stones for 14 storage warehouses across nine districts of West Bengal. The warehouses, being developed at an estimated cost of ₹6 crore, will have a combined storage capacity of 1,400 metric tonnes and are expected to strengthen agricultural storage infrastructure and improve supply chain efficiency.
Earlier in the day, the Home Minister chaired a high-level review meeting on the law-and-order situation in West Bengal. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, senior police officials and members of the state administration.
According to official sources, Shah stressed the importance of stronger coordination between border police stations and the Border Security Force (BSF) in view of West Bengal’s 2,217-kilometre international border with Bangladesh. He also called for the establishment of an anti-narcotics task force, an anti-terrorist squad and a specialised investigation agency modelled on the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to strengthen internal security.
Later in the day, Shah visited the National Library campus in Alipore, where he inaugurated Shabdalok (Museum of Word), described as India’s first immersive language museum. Developed under the Union Ministry of Culture, the museum showcases India’s 22 official languages and traces their evolution from oral traditions and ancient manuscripts to printed literature and digital texts.
Speaking at the inauguration, Shah emphasised the importance of preserving India’s linguistic heritage and encouraged young people to learn at least one Indian language in addition to their mother tongue. He said such efforts would help preserve the country’s rich cultural diversity and ensure that India’s languages continue to thrive for future generations.
