Daily-wagers feel betrayed by govt as milk price hike hurts them most

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The price of Nandini milk and curd marketed by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has gone up by Rs 2 per litre. A litre of toned milk will now cost Rs 39 and a kg of curd will cost Rs 47. The working class is disappointed with the move and is angered at the rising costs of essentials.

“The government promises to subsidise essentials for the poor but has now increased the cost of milk, one of the most important ones. Daily wage labourers will stop consuming milk if the prices are increased at this rate,” said Muniyamma, a daily wage worker who refused to buy milk after hearing about the hike.

Bhuvaneshwari , a mother of two and wife of an auto driver, said, “I have growing children at home who need a glass of milk at least twice a day to maintain their health at the optimum level. My husband has limited earnings, most of which gets spent on the ever-rising fuel costs. We are unable to keep up with the inflation and have come to a state where we will have to dilute our milk.”

PC Rao, President of the Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers Association (BBHA) has said that despite the price hike, hotels across the city have not made a decision to increase the cost of items that require milk products in their preparation. The decision will be made shortly, he claimed.

However, the restaurant By2 Coffee in Chamarajpet has put out a notice informing customers that the cost of coffee and dosa will be increased due to the price hike. According to data provided by the KMF, despite the hike, the consumer price of Nandini milk will still remain cheaper in comparison to neighbouring states Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and even Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi where prices range from Rs 40 per litre in Tamil Nadu to Rs 55 per litre in Andhra Pradesh.

The decision was taken at a KMF meeting that happened in Bengaluru on Wednesday, after federation directors and officials met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on November 21.