Consumer activists and milk vendors have urged the State government to step in to control the procurement and selling prices of milk. This demand comes in the wake of two popular milk brands recently increasing their selling prices.
“After the recent hike, full cream milk is nearly Rs. 50 a litre, which a middle-class family definitely cannot afford and families will have to either tighten budgets or reduce milk purchase,” said Hemalatha Krishna, the mother of two girls.
Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said the State government must monitor milk price since it was an essential commodity. “Merely selling Aavin milk at lesser prices does not seem to be enough to control private brands. A few years ago, the government had constituted a committee to reign in milk companies. That must be revived,” he said.
Dealers say this has affected their business. “Already due to competition, many of us have lost about 30 per cent of our sales. Our livelihood depends on selling milk. There are families that we know that have cut down milk purchase by half a litre at least,” said S.A. Ponnusamy, State President, Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association.
The Association sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister’s Special Cell seeking intervention.
