MP Raju Shetti threatens to stop milk supply to Mumbai

Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and MP Raju Shetti warned that milk supply to Mumbai would be stopped from 16 July if the state government failed to provide subsidy to farmers in the dairy sector. Chandrakant Patil, minister for revenue however warned Shetti that Mumbai is not part of Pakistan and such type of protest will not be tolerated.

According to Free Press Journal, Shetti demanded Rs 5 per litre as subsidy for dairy farmers to help them tide over the present spate of low procurement prices. He took part in the ‘Kaifiyat Yatra’. Making a strong case for direct subsidy, Shetti cited the example of Karnataka where the government has been running such a scheme for the past few years. “The subsidy should be given for a few months till the crisis is over,” he said. Shetti claimed the total cost of running the subsidy programme would be around Rs 400 crore.

The MP, who had walked out of the ruling NDA, announced: “In case the government failed to adhere to our request, we would stop the supply of milk to Mumbai from 16 July.” Meanwhile, minister Patil said, Mumbai is not in Pakistan. He criticised the way farmers organization performs protest. “Throw vegetables on roads or pour milk tanker on roads is not the proper way to express your anger against the government,” said the minister. He warned if Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana will do protest in the same way and if they will try to create law and situation, government will take stringent action according to law.

These are the following demands made by Raju Shetti’s Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana

a Make provision of Rs 400 crore as a subsidy to milk producers.

b Deposit amount of subsidy directly in account of milk producers.

c Give subsidy of Rs 5 per litre to cow milk producers.