Plea in HC over frequent increase in milk prices

NEW DELHI: The issue of frequent hike in milk prices has reached the Delhi high court. A petition has sought directions to Delhi government to take immediate steps for setting up a monitoring committee to keep tab on the prices.
The plea, which will be heard on Thursday, also seeks direction to prevent supply of synthetic milk in the capital. The plea, filed by two social workers, Sharad Tiwari and Sanjeev Agnihotri, asked the court to constitute a monitoring committee to keep a watch on the cost of production of milk and its sale price.It further asked that it should be ensured that the profit on the milk is fixed after comparing the cost and sale price to control the price.
The PIL, filed through advocate Sugreev Dubey, has also made milk supplier Mother Dairy a party and sought a direction from the government to not hike the price more than once in two years.
The plea said that over the last six years, the milk price has been increasing continuously. The government should be directed to fix the price of milk with reasonable profit to the traders. It said that the price of milk was Rs 24 per litre in 2009 and it has now risen to Rs 48 in 2014. "The price has been hiked to Rs 48 per litre and it is likely that after the election results are declared, the price of milk may go upto Rs 50 per litre," it said.
"India is the first in the world producing the most milk. It is the country producing quality milk in the world and it is unfortunate that the milk price is rising every month. If not controlled, then it will be out of the reach of the common man. Hence, the present petition," it said.