Says government ready to hold discussions with farmers, but their leaders are not interested
Saying that the state government will ensure uninterrupted milk supply to the city, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, stated that current agitation for milk growers' demands is misdirected.
Speaking to media persons during an informal talk, Fadnavis said that his government is ready to hold discussions with agitating milk farmers. He said that every government is always ready for such talks but the leaders of this agitation have already declared that they would not hold any talks with the government. That is the reason, Fadnavis said, 'this agitation is going on in a wrong way.'
Fadnavis informed that 60 per cent of the milk collection in the state is controlled by private players while 40 per cent milk is handled by cooperative milk federations which include one per cent by government. He said that demands to directly pay subsidy to farmers' accounts cannot be fulfilled since there are no details available with private players about farmers from who they collect milk. He informed that if money is directly passed on it can lead to scam since private players do not maintain accounts of milk collection.
Meanwhile, when leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Dhananjay Munde, NCP leader Ajit Pawar raised the issue of milk growers' agitation in both the Houses of State Assembly, senior minister Chandrakant Patil alleged that it was not milk growers who are throwing away milk on roads but it was cooperatives controlled by Congress and NCP.
Patil alleged that current agitation is, in fact, anti-milk growers since cooperative federations controlled by Opposition have stopped milk collection and they are pouring the milk on roads. Patil said that subsidy on export for milk powder and milk has been announced and private players also have agreed to raise the purchase rates by Rs 3 per litre.
He said that once private players raise it to Rs 5 litre in the coming week, the problems of milk growers would be taken care of.
Vikhe-Patil demanded giving Rs 30 per litre for milk growers and said that Government has ignored farmers as well as milk growers. Jayant Patil criticized by saying that subsidy for milk powder would help private milk powder manufacturers and would not help milk farmers in any way.
DISCONTENT
- The Opposition staged demonstrations at entry gate of the assembly building
- They staged Ghantanaad agitation at the steps of Vidhan Bhavan
- Vikhe-Patil demanded giving Rs 30 per litre for milk growers
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 "Dairy Agitation")
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