With milk prices showing no signs of going down, the BJP led Maharashtra govt. has expressed anger against erring milk cooperatives. Strict action would be taken against them under the cooperatives Act, the govt has threatened, says Indian Express.
Maharashtra govt. has fixed a minimum price of Rs 20 per litre payable by milk cooperatives to dairy farmers for cow milk and a minimum price of Rs 29 per litre for buffalo milk in 2013. The government had in 2015 ordered that as per Section 79 (A) of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, milk cooperatives have to pay this minimum rate to dairy farmers, as well as transportation charges of Rs 3.35 per litre.
Eknath Khadse, minister for animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries, said, “We have observed that some primary milk cooperatives do not pay the mandated minimum amount to milk producers, and so we are not being able to effectively implement the government’s decision.” the minister said.
The state government has appealed to milk producers to register a complaint with the district-level authorities of the state cooperatives department.