Fuel prices hiked again, citizens seek govt intervention
New Delhi, Sep 09 : A day ahead of the Bharat Bandh called for by the Congress Party, fuel prices have been hiked yet again on Sunday.
In New Delhi, the price of petrol has been hiked to Rs. 80.50 per litre, and diesel to Rs.72. 61 per litre, following an increase of 12 paise and 10 paise, respectively.
The surge in fuel prices has affected people in Mumbai the most, with petrol retailing at Rs. 87.89 per litre and diesel at 77.09 per litre, after a 12 paise and 11 paise hike, respectively.
The constant rise in fuel prices is strengthening citizens' demand for government intervention in the matter.
"There is an increase in the fuel price with each passing day, and the common man is suffering the most. The government should do something about it," a citizen from New Delhi to ANI.
A local from Mumbai, while narrating the plight of commoners, said rising fuel prices have triggered a surge in the prices of other commodities as well.
"We are tired of this government. Instead of the 'Achhe Din' promised by the government, the days are becoming worse. It has become difficult for us to run our house. The fuel prices are increasing with each passing day. It is affecting everything, everything is becoming expensive due to it," he added.
As a mark of protest against the exorbitant fuel prices, the Shiv Sena put up hoardings on Saturday night across Mumbai, displaying figures of petrol, diesel, and gas from 2015 and 2018 to highlight the surge in prices.
While the government has maintained that depreciation of the Indian Rupee against the U.S dollar and a hike in global crude oil prices is causing a surge in domestic oil prices, citizens and the Opposition alike feel the Narendra Modi government is not doing enough to curb rising oil prices.
A nationwide shutdown will be observed on September 10 (Monday) by the Congress, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), while left parties have given a separate call for bandh on the same day over the hike in fuel prices, the problem of farmers and unemployment issues.
courtesy : aninews.in
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BAMUL president slams Flipkart over selling milk for Re 1 per litre
Bengaluru (PTI): Bangalore Milk Union Ltd president D K Suresh on Saturday claimed that e-commerce giant Flipkart is selling milk for Re 1 through "investor-funded discount campaigns", accusing it of undermining the dignity of farmers and the cooperative movement built over decades.
He has lodged a complaint against Flipkart before the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and also written an email to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking investigation into "predatory pricing" of milk by the quick commerce platform and its impact on dairy farmers and cooperative institutions.
However, Flipkart said in a statement that it periodically runs limited promotional campaigns on select products available on the platform, often in partnership with banking partners, to enhance customer value.
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"Prices of products on the Flipkart marketplace are determined by individual sellers. All dairy partners and sellers continue to receive their full agreed price for the products they supply, and farmer procurement prices are not impacted in any way," a Flipkart spokesperson said.
Flipkart further said it remains committed to working with farmers, cooperatives and sellers across India to expand market access and support their growth.
Suresh, brother of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and also a former MP, slammed Flipkart for its latest move.
Taking to social media platform 'X', the Bangalore Milk Union Ltd (BAMUL) president said that milk is not a Re 1 flash deal. It is the livelihood of millions of farmers.
"Behind every litre of milk is the sweat, labour, and livelihood of our farmers. Predatory discounting by companies like Flipkart weakens India's dairy cooperatives and hurts farmer incomes," he said.
He urged both the central and the state governments to act immediately to protect the farmers and the cooperative movement.
In another post, Suresh said that milk is not a marketing gimmick. It is the livelihood of millions of dairy farmers who work every day to feed this nation.
"Flipkart is selling milk for Re 1 through investor-funded discount campaigns and is undermining the dignity of farmers and the cooperative movement built over decades," he added, urging public to choose farmers, cooperatives and Nandini, a dairy brand owned by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).
Speaking to reporters here earlier in the day, he said that a complaint would be lodged against Flipkart before the Competition Commission of India (CCI) under Section 19(1)(a) over the company's move to sell one litre of milk for Re 1.
He alleged that such competition aimed at capturing the market would hit farmers hard.
"Around Rs 2,000 crore has reportedly been spent on this initiative. It is not appropriate to misuse public shareholders' money in this manner," he said.
According to him, the move could undermine long-standing milk cooperative institutions that have existed since the pre-Independence period.
"Multinational companies are working against farmers' interests. They should clearly state in their advertisements how long they will sell milk at such low prices. Flipkart must withdraw from this move that harms the farming community," he added.
Suresh claimed that 14.5 lakh litres of milk had already been sold under the scheme and advertisements had been issued widely.
"Public money is being invested to attract customers. The company should disclose how long it plans to sell milk at this price," he said.
Responding to a question on whether the sales of Nandini milk had dropped, he said several brands operate in the market and not just Nandini.
"BAMUL's sales have dropped by about 40,000-50,000 litres. We need to ascertain how long this decline has continued," he said.
Asked if other entities were behind the scheme, he said information was still being gathered. "I have seen a couple of advertisements and will also discuss the matter with officials. Under the guise of business, it is not right to ignite a crisis for the farming community," he said.
Suresh said farmers are currently paid Rs 38-40 per litre for milk. "How can they sell it for Re 1? "We need to find out from whom they are purchasing the milk and where it is coming from," he said.
When asked whether farmers should be advised not to sell milk to such companies, Suresh said it was not clear where the company was procuring milk from, including bulk producers.
"We are also checking whether milk powder is being mixed. I have asked for samples and instructed that they be tested in laboratories. If cooperative institutions collapse, the direct impact will be on farmers," he added.
