The proposed Karnataka milk price hike has triggered opposition in Mysuru, with the Mysuru Hotels Association seeking an immediate rollback of the Rs 8-per-litre increase and BJP Women’s Morcha members protesting outside the MyMUL office in Siddarthanagar.
Mysuru Hotels Association president C Narayana Gowda said the increase would add pressure to hotels and the public at a time when businesses are already facing higher operating costs. He said milk prices had risen by around Rs 17 over the past three years, with the latest proposed increase creating another burden for the industry.
Gowda cited higher cooking gas prices following the war, fluctuations in the prices of sugar, jaggery, rice, onions and vegetables, a shortage of skilled workers, rising wages, increased electricity and water charges, and higher taxes imposed by urban local bodies. The association said these costs were affecting the ability of hotels to continue operating and providing employment.
The association argued that supporting farmers should remain the government’s responsibility but said the burden should not be transferred entirely to consumers and hotels through higher milk prices. Gowda proposed direct subsidies or financial assistance for farmers instead. He also sought compensation for farmers facing crop losses because of drought and a fair price for sugarcane growers.
The association described the hotel industry as both a major source of employment and an important market for agricultural produce. Gowda said the sector employed lakhs of people across social and educational backgrounds and questioned how hotels could remain viable if the prices of essential commodities continued to rise.
Separately, members of the BJP Women’s Morcha staged a protest against the increase in milk and dairy product prices in front of the MyMUL office in Siddarthanagar. The protest was led by rural district unit president Nalini Gowda, city unit general secretary Rashmi and Chamundeshwari mandal general secretary Rakesh Bhat.
The protesters demanded that the state government withdraw the price increase and support farmers through alternative measures. The reported demands centre on balancing producer support with the effect of higher dairy prices on households, hotels and other users. The government’s response and the final decision on the proposed Rs 8-per-litre increase were not provided in the report.
