HYDERABAD, April 1: The Retail Milk Sellers Welfare Association has said that since the wholesale milk dealers have increased the prices of milk by Rs3.60 per litre, they are forced to sell milk at the rate of Rs40 per litre.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Tuesday, the office-bearers of the association, Haji Faheemuddin Shaikh, Dr Kaleem Anwar Memon and others demanded of the Hyderabad district administration to stop punitive action against retailers and persuade the dairy farmers association and wholesale dealers to reduce the price of milk to enable them to sell milk on the rates fixed by the district government.

They said that if the district government did not stop punitive measures against the retailers, the association will hold a meeting on April 6 to chalk out future course of action.

The office-bearers of the association said that the retailers were selling milk at the rate of Rs32 per litre but dairy farmers and the wholesale dealers increased the price on more than one occasion but instead of taking action against them, the retailers were being victimised.

They said that the dairy farmers and the dealers increased the price of milk on March 1, by Rs2 per litre and the retailers were forced to sell milk at the rate of Rs34 per litre. The leaders of the association regretted that the district government was accordingly informed but it took no action against the suppliers whereas the retailers were heavily fined.

They said, the milk suppliers have again increased the price by Rs3.60 per litre from April 1, and the retailers have no other option but to sell the milk at Rs40 per litre.