The Hindu : New Delhi News : Hike in milk prices draws flak

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Monday, Dec 20, 2010
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New Delhi

Hike in milk prices draws flak

Staff Reporter

“Mother Dairy has lost its basic purpose”

NEW DELHI: Mother Dairy's decision to increase milk prices has drawn flak from several RWAs in the Capital which have termed the move “arbitrary”. They point out that Mother Dairy was meant to work on a co-operative pattern, sourcing produce directly from farms and supplying them to consumers without the added expense of middlemen.

According to Mahila Pragatisheel Association secretary Ritu Bhatia, Mother Dairy is selling vegetables, fruits and other essential commodities at prices higher than the retail market. “The main purpose of setting up Mother Dairy and providing prime land to it by the government to set up booths was to provide essentials such as milk and milk products at reasonable rates to the citizens,” she added.

Echoing her views, Anil Bajpai, president of an RWA Federation, said: “Mother Dairy has not been offering competitive rates to Delhiites. What is the use of having so many booths and using precious government land for profiteering. It has lost its basic purpose, its better to wind it up and give these booths to other cooperatives and retail chains.”

Ms. Chetan Zaidi of Friends Colony in South Delhi said: “I do not understand the explanation of Mother Dairy that the reason for increasing prices of milk is that procurement costs have gone up. Most Mother Dairy outlets sell stale vegetables in a bid to finish off stocks without offering any discount which the roadside retailers do. The whole purpose of setting up Mother Dairy outlets for preventing profiteering by retailers is defeated.”

Another RWA member suggests that the Government should regulate prices. “The Government has to regulate the prices and others will follow suit. Why should Mother Dairy outlets enjoy benefits of subsidy if consumers do not get any benefit,” asks Kiran Vihar RWA secretary Manmohan Mehra.

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