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Flash strike likely to hit milk supply

BHUBANESWAR: Residents of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri are likely to face harrowing time on Friday as milk will be short in supply following halt in production here on Thursday.

Over 100 employees of the Orissa State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (Omfed), the government-run milk supply agency, went on strike on Thursday. The employees were peeved over “abrupt” transfer of four employees from Bhubaneswar to other stations.

Trouble began when those four employees were reportedly not allowed into the office here. Other employees, including 30 women staff, protested the action and alleged that they were frequently looked down upon by higher-ups. Subsequently, they sat on a dharna. Despite “reconciliation efforts,” the impasse continued.

The immediate impact was that the two-lakh litre per day capacity milk processing plant at Chandrasekharpur came to grinding halt. Three cities – Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri – which receive milk from this plant, would find it difficult to cope with the situation. These cities need at least 1.2 lakh litres of milk every day. Besides, Bhadrak, Jajpur town, Jatni, Khurda, Nimapara, Jagatpur and Choudwar depend on the plant.

When contacted, Basant Mishra, Omfed’s Deputy General Manager (Marketing) said: “We have chalked out an exigency plan to meet the challenge. Efforts are on to procure 30 per cent of milk demand from Berhampur dairy.”

He said priority would be given to supply milk to hospitals and other essential points. The federation was trying to make available milk at some restricted places, Mr. Mishra said.

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