HYDERABAD, Jan 8: Huge quantity of milk turned sour after police detained several vehicles carrying milk in the wake of a ban under section 144 by the district nazim on the transportation of milk outside Hyderabad on Monday, claimed retailers and cattle farmers.

They also rejected the claim of district government made by EDO Revenue Abdul Sattar Jatoo that the committee had allowed retailers to sell milk at Rs30 per litre following a unanimous decision with the cattle farmers.

The nazim banned transportation of milk outside Hyderabad to ensure required quantity of the product in the city so the retailers or cattle farmers did not have any reason to raise prices.

The ban was imposed on Monday following reports that milk was being sold at Rs30 to Rs34 per litre against Rs28 per litre fixed by the district government.

According to Mehran Cattle Association President Yousuf Jatoi who strongly reacted to the imposition of section 144 on transportation of milk, said that no less than 50 vehicles were detained by police for violation of section 144 after they left for the city or Karachi from old and new cattle colonies.

“We have suffered losses of around Rs3 to Rs4 million in one day because entire milk became sour as its temperature could not be maintained,” he said.

He added that even if the ban on milk transportation was not applicable in city limits it would still cause monetary losses to them because around 4,000 maunds of milk was sent to Karachi daily. “Such a ban was never witnessed before,” he said.

He said that police detained drivers of vehicles and deprived them of cash after the vehicles left old cattle colony near Hala Naka or new cattle colony on Tando Mohammad Khan road.

“We are pondering over option to spill the milk outside the District Nazim's office in protest or move the court of law to seek remedies because the ban is unjustified,” he threatened.