Mysuru: The Mysuru Hotels Association has urged the Karnataka government to withdraw the proposed increase in milk prices, warning that the additional cost would put further pressure on the hotel industry and affect the general public.
Speaking to reporters, association president C Narayana Gowda said the hotel industry was already facing multiple challenges due to rising operating costs and repeated increases in the prices of essential commodities. He said the proposed hike of Rs 8 per litre would add to the financial burden on hotels.
Hotels facing rising operating costs
Gowda questioned the repeated burden of price increases on the hotel industry, which provides employment to people irrespective of their caste, religion or educational qualifications.
He pointed out that hotels were dealing with several cost-related pressures, including higher cooking gas prices following the war, fluctuations in the prices of sugar, jaggery, rice, onions and vegetables, and a shortage of skilled workers.
Rising wages, increased electricity and water charges, and higher taxes imposed by urban local bodies have also added to the industry’s expenses, he said.
According to Gowda, milk prices have increased by around Rs 17 over the past three years. The latest proposed increase of Rs 8 per litre would further affect hotels, which depend on milk for preparing a wide range of food and beverage items.
He questioned how hotels could continue to operate if the prices of essential commodities kept increasing without corresponding relief for the industry.
Suggests direct support for farmers
Gowda said the government had a responsibility to protect the interests of farmers. However, he argued that increasing milk prices sharply was not the only way to provide financial support to them.
Instead, the government should consider extending direct subsidies or financial assistance to milk producers, he suggested.
He also called for compensation to farmers who suffer crop losses due to drought and fair prices for sugarcane growers.
According to him, measures aimed at supporting farmers should not place an excessive burden on other sectors or consumers.
Calls for withdrawal of Rs 8 hike
Gowda emphasised that the hotel industry was not merely a food service sector but also a major source of employment for lakhs of people. It also provides an important market for agricultural produce, linking farmers with consumers through the food service sector.
He said the continued rise in input costs could affect the industry’s ability to sustain operations and provide employment.
The association has therefore urged the state government to immediately withdraw the proposed Rs 8-per-litre milk price increase and consider alternative measures to support dairy farmers.