CM Siddaramaiah says hike in milk prices is proportionate to increase in volume per packet
Bengaluru, Jun 25: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday clarified that Rs two hike in price of Nandini milk from June 26 is proportional to the increase in volume per packet.
His clarification came after opposition attacked the Congress government over increase in milk prices.
Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) announced a hike in prices while enhancing the quantity of milk in its half and one litre packets by 50 ml.
"As it is the current harvest season, the storage of milk in all district milk unions is increasing every day and the current storage is close to one crore litres. In this background, the price of each packet is being increased by Rs 2 with an additional 50 ml of milk being given to the consumers only for each half litre (500 ml) and one litre (1000 ml) packets," KMF said in a statement.
ALSO READ: KMF increases Nandini milk prices by ₹2 per litre, effective from tomorrow
Currently, a 500 ml toned milk packet of Nandini costs Rs 22 and with this decision, the 550 ml packet will now cost Rs 24. Similarly, the 1000 ml (1 litre) packet was priced at Rs 42 and it will now be sold at Rs 44 for 1,050 ml.
In a statement, Siddaramaiah has said, "There will be no increase in the price of Nandini milk. Instead, each milk packet will now contain an additional 50 ml of milk, and the price will be proportionally increased for the increased volume."
He said from now on, 500 ml milk packets will be replaced by 550 ml packets, and one litre packets will be replaced by 1,050 ml packets. This decision by KMF aims to ensure that farmers' additional milk production is not rejected at collection centres.
In the statement, the Chief Minister explained that compared to last year, milk production in the state has increased by 15 per cent. Last year, the average daily production was 90 lakh litres whereas this year, it has increased to an average of 99 lakh litres per day.
To accommodate this surplus production and ensure farmers are not turned away, KMF has decided to increase the milk content in each packet by 50 ml, with only a Rs. 2 charge for the additional quantity. There is no increase in the per unit price of milk, he said.
"Previously, the price was Rs. 42 for 1,000 ml and Rs 22 for 500 ml. Going forward, the packets will be sold with 1,050 ml and 550 ml at Rs. 44 and Rs. 24 respectively. This decision by KMF aims to benefit the lakhs of dairy farmers and ensure the surplus milk directly reaches consumers," he said.
Siddaramaiah said that currently, the maximum amount of milk is being used for milk powder production. Approximately 30 lakh liters of milk are used daily for producing 250 metric tons of milk powder to meet the existing demand.
"When our government came to power, the average daily milk collection in the state was around 72 lakh litres. We implemented a Rs 3 increase in the price, directing the additional funds directly to farmers, making dairy farming more profitable. Additionally, good rainfall this year has ensured ample green fodder for cattle.
"Due to these factors, milk production has now reached nearly 1 crore litres per day. To handle this increased production and ensure it is beneficial for both farmers and consumers, KMF has made this decision," the statement added.
The opposition took a dig at the government as the hike in milk prices came days after the government hiked fuel prices in the state.
Hitting out at the chief minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka alleged the Congress government has increased the milk prices to "celebrate the anniversary of the Emergency."
"If you (Siddaramaiah) have even an iota of compassion for the poor and middle class people, then withdraw the milk price hike order immediately," he said, directing his comments at the chief minister.
"You (Siddaramaiah) have increased the price of milk in just 13 months after coming to power. Last year in August, the price of milk was increased by Rs 3 and now it has been increased by Rs 2.
"The poor and middle class people of the state are already distressed by the increase in petrol diesel prices and skyrocketing prices of vegetables. In such a situation, you have put more burden on them," he posted on social media platform X.
BJP Karnataka unit president B Y Vijayendra stated that the latest decision to hike milk prices will badly affect the poor families who are already facing a daunting task in making ends meet.
"Soon after the Lok Sabha election results, there was a call from Congress MLAs to rollback the guarantees to avenge their loss. Finally, this is how the Congress government is exacting revenge on the poor citizens for voting against them," he alleged.
"@INCKarnataka govt seems to be in a mad hurry to hike the price of every essential commodity to inflict the maximum pain on the voters. @BJPKarnataka will fight every inch against the anti-people decisions of this government," he posted on X.
Janata Dal (Secular) too criticised the move and sarcastically said that on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the Emergency, the Karnataka Congress government has given a "bumper gift" to the people.
"Will the benefit of this price rise go to milk producers or will it go to KMF? The guarantee (schemes) is the cause for the price rise," the party posted on X.
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Netanyahu recommends his Cabinet approve Hezbollah cease-fire proposal
Beirut, Nov 26: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people.
The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon's Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal.
In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting.
Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending.
The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel.
Lebanese officials have said Hezbollah also supports the deal. If approved by all sides, the deal would be a major step toward ending the Israel-Hezbollah war that has inflamed tensions across the region and raised fears of an even wider conflict between Israel and Hezbollah's patron, Iran.
The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides' compliance.
But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted on Tuesday that the military would strike Hezbollah if the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, doesn't provide “effective enforcement” of the deal.
“If you don't act, we will act, and with great force,” Katz said, speaking with UN special envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said Tuesday that Israel's security concerns had been addressed in the deal also brokered by France.
“There is not an excuse for not implementing a ceasefire. Otherwise, Lebanon will fall apart,” Borrell told reporters in Italy on the sidelines of a Group of Seven meeting. He said France would participate on the ceasefire implementation committee at Lebanon's request.
Bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs continues
Even as Israeli, US, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah's military capabilities.
An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city's downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.
Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure.
Earlier, Israeli jets struck at least six buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs. One strike slammed near the country's only airport, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. The airport has continued to function despite its location on the Mediterranean coast next to the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah's operations are based.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in the suburbs, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where UNIFIL is headquartered.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate.
Other strikes hit in the southern city of Tyre, where the Israeli military said it killed a local Hezbollah commander.
The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometres from the Israeli border.
Previous ceasefire hopes were dashed
Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the strongest Iranian-backed force in the region, would likely significantly calm regional tensions that have led to fears of a direct, all-out war between Israel and Iran. It's not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah had long insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition.
Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since.
Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes.
More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members.
Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country's north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon.
After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted there could be last-minute hitches that delay or destroy an agreement.
“Nothing is done until everything is done,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
While the ceasefire proposal is expected to be approved if Netanyahu brings it to a vote in his security Cabinet, one hard-line member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would oppose it. He said on X that a deal with Lebanon would be a “big mistake” and a “missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.”
