The State Government seems to have lost its control over its bureaucracy. The 'arbitrary' hike in the milk prices here recently has only deepened this impression.

 However, the State Dairy Development Minister Harish Chandra Durgapal has expressed disappointment over the 'arbitrary' hike in the price of milk brand Aanchal by the Nainital Milk Production Cooperative Federation (NMPCF), lalkuan, saying without obtaining approval, hiking milk prices is not right. 

Milk is an essential commodity. This hike has only added to the financial burden of the people of this region, maintained the Minister, while asking the officials concerned to submit a detailed report on the matter  on Tuesday.  It may be recalled that the NMPCF, lalkuan raised the prices of milk in Nainital recently and this was the third such hike by NMPCF, lalkuan in less than a year in Nainital.

The NMPCF, lalkuan, had increased the prices of the Aanchal standard milk whose consumption is the maximum in the market from Rs34 per litreto Rs36 per litre  in February 2014.  The prices had been further raised upto Rs38 per litre  in May thisyear. The sudden hike of Rs2 again this weekend, making it at Rs40 per litre, shocked the common people. The people of this region have already vented anger. Whereas the Government is trying to control inflation, hike in milk prices in Nainital district is a depressing trend, runs the common refrain here. 

The hike would benefit the milk vendors alone, at the expense of the common people.   The State Government should pressure them to immediately roll back the hikes prices, they added. It is to note that, there is a consumption of about 70,000 liter Aanchal milk  in the Nainital district per day. However, the officials concerned maintained that the hike was an imperative in view of tough market competition. Now it is up to the State Government to order a roll- back, they said.