Soon, bakery items, milk will get dearer

MUMBAI: Soon you will have to shell out more for bakery products. The state government has made it mandatory for all bakery owners to pay their employees a monthly minimum wage of Rs 4,561 and bakery owners will pass on the burden to consumers.
The plight of employees working in bakery was raised by member of legislative assembly Devendra Fadanvis (BJP) during the question hour session here on Monday.
In his reply, the minister of state for labour, Padmakar Valvi, said that hereafter, all bakery employees will get Rs 3,800 per month as basic and Rs 761 as special allowance.
Reacting to the decision, M Yakub of the Mumbai Bakers' Association said they would have no option but to hike prices. "Ultimately, the cost will be passed on to the consumer."
The government's decision will put pressure on the industry, said K P Irani, president of Indian Bakers' Association.
Meanwhile, the dairy development department too has decided to hike rates of cow and buffalo milk from April 1.
Dairy development secretary Rajesh Agarwal said cow milk will now cost Rs 25 instead of Rs 23 and buffalo milk Rs 30 instead of Rs 25. "We used to sell just 700 to 800 litres of buffalo milk till date. We have hiked the procurement price by Rs 4.80. As a result, dairy owners will sell us buffalo milk. The procurement price of cow milk has been raised by Rs 1.50," said a dairy development official.