Fadnavis, LoPs, others to meet over Maha milk stir: Minister

The Chief Minister will hold a meeting in two days with the Leaders of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Council, other senior leaders and Lok Sabha MP Raju Shetti whose Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana is spearheading the milk stir underway, minister Mahadev Jankar said today.

Dairy Development minister Jankar was replying in the Legislative Council to a question raised by Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde, MLCs Sunil Tatkare, Hemant Takle, Neelam Gorhe and others on the steps being taken by the government to address dairy farmers' issues.

Several farmers' outfits have been agitating across the state since yesterday demanding that the government increase the procurement price of milk by Rs 5, and provide a subsidy of the same amount, per litre.

Jankar today told the House that a meeting between Fadnavis and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, had already been held in this regard.

Earlier, speaking on the issue of transferring subsidy directly into the bank accounts of dairy farmers, Jankar said that 60 per cent of these farmers are not registered with the body representing them.

"The government wants to give direct benefit transfer (DBT) to dairy farmers, but 60 percent of milk production is with the private sector and it is not possible to do DBT in the accounts of farmers," Jankar said.