GORAKHPUR, Nov. 10 -- The Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development minister of Uttar Pradesh, Dharampal Singh, on Sunday accused the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) government of negligence, which allegedly led to the Parag Dairy unit in Gorakhpur becoming defunct. He announced that the long-shut unit, non-functional since 2023, will be revived and made operational by February 2026. Speaking to media persons, Singh said the Yogi Adityanath government is committed to strengthening the dairy sector for farmers and milk producers. He blamed the former government led by Akhilesh Yadav for failing to maintain and support the dairy unit, resulting in its closure. "The Parag Dairy in Gorakhpur was left defunct due to inaction by the previous regime. Under CM Yogi's leadership, we are working to restart it by February so that local dairy farmers can benefit again," Singh stated. The plant, which has a capacity of over one lakh litres per day, had been shut down due to operational and financial issues. Its revival is expected to create fresh opportunities for milk producers in eastern Uttar Pradesh and restore confidence among cooperative dairy members. Officials from the Dairy Development Department said the plant will be operated by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Technical assessments have already begun, and coordination with cooperative societies is underway to ensure a smooth restart. "All necessary infrastructure upgrades will be completed soon, and milk procurement will resume before the next financial year," an official said. Responding to a query, Dharampal Singh stated that currently 7,713 cow shelters are functioning across the state, housing over 12.50 lakh cows. Additionally, 171 large cow shelters are under construction as part of the government's efforts to further strengthen the dairy industry....