A truck was set on fire and milk tankers were blocked in several districts of Maharashtra by protesters demanding a hike in procurement price.
A truck was set on fire and milk tankers were blocked in several districts of Maharashtra by protesters demanding a hike in procurement price.
Agitators blocked milk tankers in Pune, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Buldhana, Jalgaon and other places and emptied some of them on roads, even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis disapproved of the agitation and said the government is open for talks on any issue.
Workers of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) set ablaze a truck of Rajhans Milk Shop in Washim's Malegaon. However, the driver escaped the fire without any injuries.
Farmers' organisations are demanding a hike of Rs 5 per litre in milk procurement price and have decided to suspend milk supply to Mumbai and Pune from today.
SSS Chief Raju Shetti said they were compelled to take up the agitation as the state government did not pay heed to their demands.
As many as 55 lakh milk pouches are sold in Mumbai every day, with the Gujarat-based Amul having the highest market share of 30% followed by Kolhapur-based Gokul, a dairy development department official earlier said.
Impact of the protest was also felt on the Amul dairy's collection centres at Vasai and Virar towns in the neighbouring Palghar
Assuring that milk supply would not be affected, he said the government has not adopted an "egoistic view" on any issue.
"Our doors are always open for discussion... The government has not adopted an egoistic view on any issue. But the way the current protest is going on, is not right," the chief minister told reporters in Nagpur.
Meanwhile, Mahadev Jankar, Maharashtra Minister for Dairy Development requested all farmers not to participate in the milk protest. "We will give a subsidy of Rs 50 on per kg of milk powder and Rs 5 on per liter milk for export. We are trying to give 50% subsidy on milk, 40% from Maharashtra govt and 10% from Centre."
The opposition Congress and NCP also raised the issue of milk suppliers' protest in the state Assembly. Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel has also extended his support to the agitation.
Nashik Collector Radhakrishnan B sad that 15 milk trucks were dispatched early today morning to Mumbai under police protection.
"If milk associations face any problem while transporting milk outside, they should inform the police and the district administration. Police protection would be provided to milk transport vehicles," he told reporters here.
(With agency inputs)
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