MADHU AGRAWAL
(Guinness Record Holder for letters in Newspapers)

It refers to central government revealing in Parliament on 16.03.2016 that 68-percent milk-samples across the country were found adulterated with harmful chemicals like detergent, caustic-soda, white-paint, refined oil etc mixed. It is time that central government may allow of milk and milk-products only as packaged commodities marketed by renowned companies. It is to be noted that famous public-sector companies and co-operatives are already major suppliers of milk and milk-products in urban areas. Even more units can be established by these giants to fulfil complete supply of branded milk and milk-products. Infrastructure of loss-making ‘white elephant’ Delhi Milk Scheme (DMS) should be fully utilised by selling/leasing it to a cooperative or semi-government agency like Mother-Dairy, Amul, Sudha or Karnataka Milk Federation etc. DMS has lost its utility after setting up of Mother-Dairy in Delhi in the year 1974. Indecision of earlier UPA government in this regard resulted in central government writing off huge accumulated losses of rupees 849 crores. However it should be ensured that transparency and accountability may be ensured in co-operatives including also those involved in dairy-products by bringing all co-operatives and public-private-partnerships under purview of RTI Act for safeguarding interests of all concerned.

‘Mother Dairy’ can increase its profitability and sale by decreasing fat-contents in ‘Paneer’ and ‘Khoya’. These two items marketed by ‘Mother Dairy’ have selling prices much higher than of normally available in open market. It is noted that higher price of ‘Paneer’ and ‘Khoya’ marketed by ‘Mother Dairy’ is because of heavy fat-content which in fact snatches softness in use of these two items. Snatching fat-content from ‘Paneer’ and ‘Khoya’ will make these softer for consumption, healthy and decrease in prices to level of market-price because of snatched fat-content being used for production of items like ‘Ghee’ and ‘Butter’. Heavy sale of spurious ‘Khoya’ in open market rather demands a total ban on sale of ‘Khoya’ by unorganised sector. ‘Mother Dairy’ milk-booths should have all items produced and marketed by ‘Mother Dairy’ as depicted on ‘Mother Dairy’ website.

Steps should also be taken for popularity and availability of ‘Premium full-cream milk’ at all ‘Mother Dairy’ milk-booths which in fact is a product worth more than its price. Heavy sale of spurious ‘khoya’ in open market rather demands a total ban on sale of ‘khoya’ by unorganised sector. ‘Mother Dairy’ milk-booths should have all items produced and marketed by ‘Mother Dairy’ as depicted on ‘Mother Dairy’ website. Since products of ‘Mother Dairy’ are already very popular, therefore this public-sector-undertaking should also cut its advertisement-budget heavily. Not only ‘Mother dairy’, but even other milk-marketing giants like ‘Amul’ spend heavily on full-page newspaper-advertisements even for items like milk. Is it all necessary for essential item like milk?

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