Under fire from various quarters due to skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, the BJP-led state government on Wednesday rejected a request to hike the milk price.
Milk prices were last hiked by Rs 2 per litre in January 2020. Karnataka Milk Federation chiarman and Arabhavi MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi on Wednesday cited the pressure of inflation on farmers and requested the chief minister to consider the Federation’s proposal to hike the price.
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai was speaking after inaugurating 10 new projects of the Karnataka Milk Federation, aimed at further boosting the milk production and revenue of the 14 associated cooperative unions.
Sources said that following requests from the 14 milk producing unions, the KMF had sought the government’s nod to hike the milk prices by up to Rs 3.
The chief minister, however, declined the request. “I know you have proposed to hike the price of milk. You have also given comparison of the rates in other states. However, I am not going to make an assurance,” he said.
The BJP is going to face two bypolls in north Karnataka at the end of next month at a time the government has been facing flak over the rise in prices of fuel among other things.
The source informed that the Karnataka Milk Federation is likely to approach the government once again in November.
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