Karnataka’s ₹8-per-litre milk price hike will take effect from November 1, with IT and Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge defending the decision as support for dairy farmers amid falling production and wider inflationary pressures.
Speaking to reporters, Kharge said ₹7 of the increase would be transferred directly to farmers to help offset higher fodder and operating costs. He argued that the revision was driven by nationwide price pressures and the need to protect rural dairy producers, rather than by the Karnataka government alone.
The minister also said Nandini milk would remain cheaper in Karnataka than comparable dairy products in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, all of which are governed by the BJP. “Who are we doing it for? Only for farmers, only for the people of Karnataka,” Kharge said, adding that the state would remain among the cheapest in the country even after the revision.
Kharge placed the increase within a broader dispute over responsibility for inflation. Referring to the Consumer Price Index, fuel taxes and essential commodity prices, he said national macroeconomic conditions were shaped by Union government policies and could not be attributed solely to state cabinets.
“Who is responsible for inflation? Is it the state government? How is the Consumer Price Index determined? Is it by the central government or by the state government?” Kharge asked while responding to criticism of the price increase. He also invoked the BJP’s 2014 campaign slogan on inflation and questioned whether living costs had declined or increased over the past decade.
The Karnataka Cabinet’s decision was announced by Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. The move followed a reported fall of nearly 10 lakh litres in daily milk production in the state after recent drought conditions. The production decline had led to calls across party lines in the state legislature for measures to support dairy farmers.
For consumers, the increase will raise the cost of a daily household essential from November 1. For the dairy sector, the government’s stated objective is to use most of the additional amount to protect producer incomes as farmers face higher costs and reduced output. The decision therefore links two competing pressures: household affordability in cities and the financial viability of rural milk production.
Kharge also criticised the opposition’s response to price increases, comparing the criticism of the Karnataka decision with support expressed by BJP supporters for higher taxes and fuel prices when they were presented as being in the national interest. He said the state government’s decision was intended to benefit farmers and people in Karnataka.
The revised milk price is scheduled to come into force on November 1. The state government’s position is that the increase will provide direct assistance to dairy farmers while keeping Nandini milk cheaper than comparable products in the states cited by Kharge.
