MP HC issues notice to govt on retail price of milk

Jabalpur, Apr 26: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the state government and the Centre on a petition, challenging fixing the retail price of milk in Jabalpur by the state government using the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act.

Hearing a petition filed by a dairy owner, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Anang Kumar Patnaik and Justice Krishna Kumar Lahoti, issued notices to the Secretary (Food and Civil Supplies), Union Secretary (Supplies) and the Nagrik Upbhokta Margdarshak Manch, seeking reply by May 4.

Petitioner's counsel Sanjay Agrawal told the court that retail price of milk depended upon food products being served to milk-providing animals.

He described the fixing of retail price of milk at Rs 18 per litre as inappropriate and illegal and requested cancelling of the April 13 order.

The petition stated that the state government could not fix the retail price of milk without permission from the Centre.

The petitioner said the ban on the sale of milk and dairy products outside the district was inappropriate, as only the Controller of the Centre was competent to impose such a ban.

The petition stated that the order, banning sale of milk and dairy products outside the district, was illegal and inappropriate and must be cancelled.

The Nagrik Upbhokta Margdarshak Manch had filed a petition before the court over the increase in price of milk in summers. On January 17, the court had directed the government to fix the retail price of milk within two months.

When the government didn't fix the retail price even after two months, the Nagrik Upbhokta Manch filed a contempt of court petition on April 9.

The court then issued notice to the state government, following which it fixed the retail price of milk in Jabalpur and issued a notification to implement it from April 27.

UNI