Milk Distribution Centers permitted to sell other food items

As per reports, Dattatray Vithoba Bharane, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, has directed the department to submit a proposal to permit the sale of food items on a royalty basis.

Moreover, the owners of Aarey Milk Distribution Centers will be allowed to sell other food items along with milk in view of the meagre income from the milk sales. He further instructed the department to visit the distribution centre and conduct an inspection to improve the quality of government milk. In addition, a meeting was held at the Ministry under the chairmanship of Bharne regarding various demands of milk distributors at Worli and Aarey Dairy.

Down below are the crucial points of the proposal:

• Food sales should be approved and distributors should pay royalties to the government in return.
• The contract of the centre operators should be amended from time to time to give them the benefit of selling milk.
• An open tender should be issued for distribution of milk.
• After the death of a milk distribution centre holder, the centre should be transferred to the blood relatives of the deceased.

The Maharashtra Government had earlier stepped up its efforts to reduce the quantum of the losses for the dairy farmers amidst the outbreak of the coronavirus. Deputy Chief Minister of the state, Ajit Pawar, mentioned that the state will purchase 10 lakh litres of milk every day from milk cooperative societies within the next four to five days and will continue this for a period of two months in order to help the dairy farmers.