Bengaluru: The State government will soon set up the Karnataka Milk Regulatory Commission, a regulatory body to protect the interests of milk consumers and dairy farmers.
About 70 lakh litres of milk with about 23 lakh dairy farmers is the daily production of the State. The frequent hikes in milk prices by Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) which draws protests from consumers has forced the government to set up a commission. The commission will be on the lines of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) to ensure a fair deal for both consumers and producers.
The government regulates the price of milk based on recommendations of KMF, but there is no mechanism to seek the views of consumers.
“In contrast, KERC conducts public hearing to seek the opinion of the electricity consumers before taking any decision on the request for power tariff hike by ESCOMS. The milk regulatory commission will ensure level playing field for consumers and producers,” said Animal Husbandry Minister A Manju.
Officials of the Animal Husbandry department have been instructed to study the functioning of the body in States like Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra who have already set up such commissions and submit report.
