Milk to cost more in Bihar from Feb 1 next

Patna, Jan 30 (PTI)In a bitter pill to the consumers,the state-owned Patna Dairy Project has hiked the milk pricesby Rs. 1.50 per litre on all its four brands with effect fromFebruary One next citing rising prices of the petroleumproducts.

The Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister GirirajSingh told PTI here that the milk prices have been hiked onall four brands as the input cost had increased substantiallyfollowing multiple rise in petroleum products'' prices.

Under the new price mechanism, a litre of Sudhahealthy milk will cost Rs. 23.50, while Sudha smart brand willcost Rs. 24 per litre, he said.

A litre of Sudha Shakti brand of milk will cost Rs.

25.50, while Sudha Gold will sell for Rs. 27.50 per litre,Singh said.

The Patna Dairy Project has also hiked by Rs. One perlitre on the milk purchased from dairy producers, he said.

The Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister GirirajSingh said that the hike in the milk prices had becomeunavoidable due to rising input cost.

The Patna Dairy project had not increased the pricesof its dairy products last year and tried to absorb thegrowing input costs but it had become untenable to sustainthe prevailing price due to ever increasing input costs,Singh said.