Members of the district committee of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) protested in Mysuru on Tuesday against the increase in Nandini milk and curd prices and the state government’s decision to raise bus fares. The demonstration was held at Ramaswamy Circle, with the protesters arguing that the measures would increase pressure on lower- and middle-income households.
B. Ravi, district secretary of the organisation, said the price of Nandini milk had been increased by ₹8 to ₹12 per litre. He also said the price of curd had risen by ₹14. According to Ravi, the government and the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) have justified the additional amount by stating that it would be passed on to dairy farmers.
The protest group said it had no objection to Nandini’s role in strengthening milk production in Karnataka through a cooperative model supported by the government. However, Ravi alleged that there was a wide gap between the price at which KMF sells Nandini milk and the amount paid to dairy farmers. These claims were made during the protest and were not independently examined in the report.
Ravi also alleged that political representatives from ruling parties, rather than actual producers, had a significant presence in KMF’s administration. He accused the federation’s management of mismanagement and corruption. The allegations were part of the organisation’s criticism of the price increase; the report did not include a response from KMF or the state government to them.
The organisation said KMF should have reduced the burden on dairy farmers by supplying cattle feed, fodder and veterinary medicines at concessional prices instead of raising consumer prices. Ravi cited the federation’s 16 milk unions and said 11 were operating profitably. The report did not provide financial details for the unions or explain how the price increase was calculated.
The protest also focused on the proposed increase in bus fares. Ravi said the state government was citing higher diesel prices as the reason for the move. He argued that Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus fares were already expensive and urged the government to withdraw the decision immediately.
The two issues affect different parts of the urban economy but converge at the household level. Milk and curd are everyday food items, while state-run buses connect residents to workplaces, schools, markets and public services. Any increase in either cost can affect household expenditure and the affordability of daily travel, although the report did not specify the proposed bus fare rates, the date of implementation or the routes that would be affected.
M. Umadevi, Chandrashekar Meti, Yashodhar, P. S. Sandhya, G. S. Seema, Harish, Sunil, Basavaraju, Suma, Asia Begum and Neetushree were among those present at the protest. The report did not mention any government order, KMF notification or transport department schedule detailing the fare changes. Further official details will be required to establish the final prices and implementation timeline.
