Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 5: The government's decision to supply 40 lac litres of milk each from Hassan and Kolar Milk Unions to the Indian Army has met with stiff resistance from dairy farmers in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts. A delegation of Congress leaders led by MP, M Veerappa Moily, met chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, on Saturday August 4 and expressed resentment at the unwarranted interference of minister, H D Revanna, in the issue.

The delegation had agricultural minister, N H Shivashankara Reddy, MLA, Sudhakar, and Congress leaders from Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts as its members. They urged the chief minister to reverse the above decision immediately. Many critics of Revanna say that this is another example for Revanna's interference with the working of departments unrelated to him, creating discomfiture for coalition partner, Congress.

Sources said that the entire milk requirement of Indian Army was being met by Kolar District Milk Producers Union till now. "The earlier arrangement has been modified, and instructions have now been issued to supply 40 lac litres of milk from Hassan milk union by cutting the supply from Kolar milk union. This results in loss to the dairy farmers rom Kolar and Chikkaballapur. Therefore, the chief minister has been urged to revert to the earlier arrangement," sources stated. It is said that the chief minister has given positive response to the demand of the delegation.

Veerappa Moily, speaking after meeting the chief minister, said that there is no competition between milk unions of Hassan and Kolar. "In the past, Revanna was president of Karnataka Milk Federation. Now he is the president of Hassan milk union. It is but natural for him to try to do good for his union. We too wish for the welfare of our milk union," he said.