Milk producer farmers woe: Maharashtra to draft a new scheme to help farmers

Mumbai- In the meeting with representative of milk producer farmers, state government has hinted launching of new scheme to help milk producers. The cabinet is expected to meet on Thursday to finalise the scheme to help milk producing farmers.

But the leaders of milk producers are not satisfied with meeting and they alleged that government disappointed them.

” Some leaders have demanded subsidy from Rs. 5 to 10 per liter to farmers. Milk Powder making companies demanded export subsidy as this will help export of milk powder. I heard such suggestions and demands from farmer’s representative, milk dairies and other concerned organisations. Government will definitely draft a new scheme to help farmers as farmers are focus of our Mahavikas Aaghadi government. I will discuss this issue with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and minister Balasaheb Thorat and later will apprise the cabinet. Then we will finalise the scheme,” Sunil Kedar, Dairy Development minister said.

” Today’s meeting was called by me on my own. No organization demanded such meeting. But when my office informed concerned organizations about such meeting, then agitations were announced by farmers organization. BJP announced to agitate on this issue on August 1st but they too jumped in the agitation to take political benefit. But the same BJP ruled central government has inked an agreement to import milk powder. I took initiative to help milk farmers and announced that Maharashtra government will buy surplus milk from farmers with Rs.25 per liter rate. The government resolution was issued on April 6 for this. So far state government has spent Rs.200 crore on purchase of 5.59 crore liters of surplus milk,” minister stated.

” Maharashtra government need support of central government to help milk producer farmers. I wrote letter and met Union Minister Giriraj Singh for this. Also met Union Minister Nitin Gadkri at Nagpur to request this. I talked with Devendra Fadnavis and requested him to help for this through a letter. But none of these leaders helped,” he alleged.

Farmers to intensify agitation

Alleging that meeting with state government disappointed representative of milk producer farmers, cooperative milk societies, the farmers organization has warned to intensify their agitation. The farmers agitated on Monday and Tuesday in the state. In Kolhapur, Raju Shetty, President of Milk Producer Farmers Organisation and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana offered milk to shivling, symbol of Lord Shiva. Ravikant Tupkar, another farmer leader bathed with milk in Buldhana to protest government apathy.

” We demanded Rs. 30 per liter for Cow’s milk and Rs. 10 per liter subsidy to be transferred directly in farmers accounts. We also demanded Rs. 50 as export subsidy. The state government was aware of our demand. We were expecting a concrete proposal on this front from government in the meeting. State government told us that it would come out with a scheme soon. But there was no time limit fixed for this,” Dr. Ajit Navale, Secretary of Milk producer farmers organization said in a statement issued to press.

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