KOHAT: The dairy farmers’ association and milk sellers on Friday threatened to shut down their businesses and render thousands of workers unemployed if prices of milk and yogurt were not revised upwards by Monday.

Milk shop association’s president Badshah Gul and dairy farmers’ body chief Yousuf Afridi, while speaking at a meeting on Friday, said it had become difficult for them to continue with old rates due to rising prices of fodder and other kinds of feed for animals.

They said they were bearing huge losses, which they couldn’t afford anymore, and demanded that the government fix new rates for cow’s milk at Rs170, buffalo at Rs180, and yogurt at Rs180 per kilogram.

They said they were also unable to pay the workers as they had to spend a lot on feed, medicines, and minerals that were imported from Punjab. Each dairy farm had to hire a veterinarian for looking after the cattle, they added.

They complained several applications had been submitted to the deputy commissioner, the food department and the assistant commissioner, urging them to revise the dairy products’ rates, but to no avail.

PROTEST: The Wapda hydroelectric union workers staged a demonstration here the other day against the proposed privatisation of the profit-earning organisation.

The protesters from urban and rural areas marched from the Happy Valley to the Martyrs Square, where their leaders spoke, demanding appointments at the local level on old standard operating procedures, regularisation of all the staff, and an end to transfers on ‘political’ basis.

A statement issued on Friday said the union’s provincial deputy chairman Younis Shah, divisional chairman Badshah Khan and others spoke on the occasion.

FUNDS: Hangu deputy commissioner Rafique Khan Mohmand on Friday asked the Oil and Gas Development Company, foreign exploration firm, MOL, and SNGPL to provide 10 years record of corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund.

During a meeting with the relevant stakeholders, he pointed out that the local people had been agitating for release of funds for education, sports, health, water, and supply of gas under the corporate social responsibility, and had also formed a committee to raise their voice.

He said the companies earned billions of rupees every month but did not spend a penny on development of the areas.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2023