MUMBAI: Farmers across Maharashtra staged protests against the state and central government for its anti farmer's policies and not giving fair prices to the milk-producing farmers.
The state has everyday milk produce of 1.30 lakh crore litres out of which 20 lakh litre milk is becoming excess due to the lockdown.
“We want the state and central government to buy this excess milk. Due to the lockdown and closed hotel industry, the farmers are forced to sell the milk at a rate of Rs 17 against the demand of Rs 30 per litre. We have asked the Maharashtra government to offer subsidy of at least Rs 10 per litre of milk and this amount should be directly credited to the bank account of the farmers,” said Ajit Nawale, general secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Sabha.
Nawale said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the wrong decision of importing milk powder from America as per the June 26, 2020 government resolutions. “We want the central government to cancel this GR. The central government should look into the interest of the Indian farmers, not the American farmers. If the milk powder from America comes in India, then the milk prices will again crash and put the milk-producing farmers in trouble. We are strongly against this decision,” Nawale said.
Ashok Dhawale, president of Bharat Kisan Sabha said that the state government has planned to buy the 10 lakh litre of milk, but this will benefit the milk federations that are controlled by the political parties. “We want this benefit to be passed on to the farmers directly by depositing the amount in their respective accounts. We have done three protests so far and asked the government to fulfil the demand as early as possible. If they fail to do so, then we will intensify the agitation. The agitation was arranged in the 23 districts of the Maharashtra and many places rather than wasting the milk, it was offered to the impoverished families,” said Dhawale.
In Maharashtra, various social and political organisation including BJP have extended support to this milk farmers on Saturday.