Massive milk protest hits Maharashtra, farmers throw tetra packs on roads, block tankers’ entry at borders
About 63 vehicles carrying two lakh litre of milk have been blocked and some of them allegedly vandalised by the activists of Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) since midnight across Maharashtra. They emptied vehicles and threw tetra pack of milk on roads in Baramati, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Vaijapur, Aurangabad, Buldhana and Amravati as a part of their agitation to demand higher price for cow’s milk.
About 63 vehicles carrying two lakh litre of milk have been blocked and some of them allegedly vandalised by the activists of Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) since midnight across Maharashtra. They emptied vehicles and threw tetra pack of milk on roads in Baramati, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Vaijapur, Aurangabad, Buldhana and Amravati as a part of their agitation to demand higher price for cow’s milk.
SSS chief and MP Shetti, a former ally of the BJP in the state, stuck to his guns despite private and co-operative milk unions in Maharashtra have decided to increase milk prices by Rs 3 from July 21. Shetti reiterated that the state government should transfer Rs5 per litre subsidy to milk producers as temporary relief.
SSS spokesman Yogesh Pande, who was among few activists blocked milk vehicles in Pune and around, told DNA,'' The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should intervene and address the issue. The government should not exercise power to puncture the agitation. Cow milk prices had dropped considerably and most dairies in Maharashtra were paying Rs 17-Rs 18 per litre to farmers, as against Rs 24 six months ago. It is ironical that the price paid by most dairies is less than the cost of packaged drinking water while farmers have to bear production cost of Rs 35 per litre.''
Pande said the milk supply to Mumbai and most of the other cities and towns will be crippled from Tuesday onwards after the agitation during the day today gathers a momentum.
However, state dairy development minister Mahadeo Jankar said the government was fully prepared to handle the situation and assured that milk supply to Mumbai won't be impacted. He asked Shetti not to politicise the issue and called upon SSS activists not to take law into their hand.
Meanwhile, opposition parties and several farmers organisations have extended their support to the agitation launched by SSS. The leader of opposition in the state assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said the Congress party with support from other opposition parties will move a no confidence motion against the state government on this issue.