JOIN USIn the face of apparent opposition from some key UPA allies to any hike in oil prices, the Union Petroleum Ministry is understood to have taken a last-minute decision not to put up the proposal suggesting hike in prices of all the four mass-consumed petroleum products –– petrol, diesel, kerosene and domestic cooking gas –– before the Cabinet, government sources said.
“The matter did not come up for discussion,” Union Home Minister P Chidambaram told newspersons after the Cabinet meeting in Delhi on Thursday.
Based on the recommendations made by the high-powered Kirit Parikh Committee, the Petroleum Ministry, in a note prepared for the Cabinet, is understood to have proposed freeing petrol prices from the government's shoulders and “moderate” hike in prices of diesel, kerosene and domestic cooking gas.
Reacting to reports of an imminent rise in milk prices, Yeddyurappa said in Shimoga that there was no proposal before him seeking his consent to increase the prices of milk. But State Co-operatives Minister Lakshman Savadi said a hike in milk prices was inevitable.
Yeddyurappa said “no one has discussed the milk price issue with me so far. I am not aware of any proposal”. But the chief minister was quick to add that he did not agree with KMF chairman Somashekar Reddy that he had orally approved the proposal to hike milk prices.
Savadi told reporters in Bangalore: “In the summer, milk shortage is common. If better prices are not offered to farmers now, they will sell milk to daires other than KMF. It is time to increase the price since it has not been revised for the last two years.” Savadi said a decision will be taken keeping in mind the interests of farmers as well as consumers.