RAJOURI: According to a defence spokesman, the Army dedicated a cutting-edge milk factory on Tuesday to the people who live in a secluded border village in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesman said in a statement here that the initiative carried out under operation “Sadbhavana” (goodwill) at village Pukharni highlights the Army’s commitment towards empowering the locals towards self-dependency and socio-economic development. According to him, the milk factory, which was opened by local women, is a step in the right direction towards realising the potential of the area’s dairy farmers and giving them a local market where they can sell their milk, lessening their reliance on the towns of Naushera and Rajouri. “Women empowerment is one of the noteworthy aspects of establishment of Pukharni milk factory wherein this establishment will provide jobs to over 20 local women.”The Army wants to increase women’s economic independence and social standing in order to foster a more inclusive and progressive society, in addition to being a potent tool for social transformation through their active participation in the dairy production chain, according to the spokesman. He said that in addition to economic development, the project aims to involve the Gujjar and Bakkarwal communities in the area. The Indian Army has worked with the Gujjar community to understand the complexities of dairy farming in the difficult Pukharni terrain.
