Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 26 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said the vision of Dr Verghese Kurien, the Father of India"s "White Revolution", is of increased relevance at a time when the country"s agricultural and co-operative sectors are facing consequences of "defective policies." Vijayan, while speaking after virtually unveiling the statue of Kurien installed at Milma Bhavan here, said "the architect of India’s White Revolution reminds us of the substantial contributions that the co-operative sector can make to economic development." The Chief Minister also inaugurated the National Milk Day celebrations and the valedictory of the year-long Dr. Verghese Kurien centenary celebrations under the aegis of the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF). "Recalling the contributions of Dr. Verghese Kurien becomes significant on two counts. He is the architect of India"s White Revolution that imparted a great momentum to the country’s dairy sector. He also reminds us of the substantial contributions that the co-operative sector can make to economic development," Vijayan said. He said this year"s National Milk Day assumes added significance as it is being celebrated when farmers in the country are pulling out of farming and agricultural production is dwindling as a result of "defective policies" being pursued and the co-operative sector coming under attack. "There is a strong argument that governments should stop intervening in the food sector, leaving it entirely to big monopolies. But the experience the world over is that such a situation will only lead to steep price rise. Food security can be achieved only by meticulous planning and implementation of projects. This makes the intervention of governments in the food sector and open market crucial," the Chief Minister said. Vijayan added that the Kerala government is trying its best to achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture and ensure remunerative prices for farmers by making necessary interventions in production and distribution processes. This approach has helped the state to almost become self-sufficient in milk production. The state is now in a position to produce 70 lakh litres of milk a day out of its demand of 80 lakh litres, he said. Vijayan said Milma was formed by drawing inspiration from the success of Amul, built by Kurien and the growth of Milma demonstrates that public sector institutions could make immense contributions to society if they are run efficiently. Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, J Chinchurani, said India was greatly indebted to Kurien for its transformation from a milk-deficient country into one of the world"s largest producers of milk. Transport Minister Antony Raju presented the Dr. Verghese Kurien Scholarship for the best B-Tech Dairy Science students of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University during the ceremony. Raju also honoured Unni Kanayi, the sculptor of the statue of Kurien. Leader of the Opposition in the assembly V D Satheesan, in his online keynote address, lauded Milma"s remarkable efforts to make the state self-sufficient in milk production. Former Chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), T Nandakumar, delivered the Dr. Verghese Kurien memorial lecture. Kurien"s daughter Nirmala Kurien, Milma Chairman K S Mani and Milma Managing Director Patil Suyog Subhashrao spoke during the occasion. Pharma firm Provet presented Rs 28 lakh-worth medicines free of cost to Thiruvananthapuram Co-operative Milk Producers Union (TRCMPU) at the function. The Milma cooperative milk society at Deepthi Giri in Wayanad was recently selected as the second Best Milk Cooperative Society in the country by the NDDB. Dr. Kurien centenary celebrations got under way on November 26 last year in Kozhikode, the birthplace of Kurien (1921-2012), with the dairy farmers affiliated to Milma making a fervent appeal for conferring the Bharat Ratna on him. PTI RRT APR APR