Opposition parties protest milk price hike

The Tamil Nadu Government’s decision to hike retail price of milk has attracted widespread political criticism by the opposition.

The DMK, DMDK and the MDMK have opposed the move as it will affect the public.

The state government announced on Saturday its decision to hike both the procurement price of milk supplied by the dairy farmers to the milk cooperatives and the retail price of Aavin milk, the cooperative milk brand.

Aavin milk prices have been hiked by ₹ 10 a litre across the board. Milk prices range from to ₹ 34 to ₹ 43 for monthly milk card holders and ₹ 37 to ₹ 45 for retail buyers. The cooperative has also hike the procurement price of milk by ₹ 4-5 a litre.

The political parties while welcoming the hike in procurement price which benefits dairy farmers have opposed the increase in selling price.

The leader of the main opposition party in the Assembly, the DMDK (Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam) president Vijayakanth urged the government to roll back the milk price. In the last three and half years milk prices have nearly doubled to ₹ 34 a litre. The DMDK will organise a demonstration against the milk price hike on October 28 (Tuesday), he said in a statement. The DMDK is not against government paying more to the dairy farmers, he said.

The DMK leader M Karunanidhi, said in a statement that the party will organise demonstrations on November 3 against the milk price hike. The party will organise protests in all the district headquarters in the state, he said.

The milk price hike will affect the public, he said.

The MDMK leader Vaiko said the government should hike the procurement price of milk to support the dairy farmers with subsidy. But the selling price of milk should not be hiked as the consumers will be affected. Dairy farmers are demanding a ₹ 7-9 a litre hike in procurement price but the government has hiked the prices by just ₹ 4-5.

COMMENT NOW