Bengaluru, Oct 29 — The Karnataka government on Thursday has announced an Rs 8 per litre hike in milk prices, effective November 1, with Rs 7 of the increase going to farmers and Rs 1 to milk unions.
The price paid to farmers will rise from Rs 35 to Rs 42 per litre and, including the existing government subsidy of Rs 5, they will receive Rs 47 per litre.
Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy on Thursday defended the price hike, saying the decision would strengthen farmers financially and protect their interests.
Speaking to the media at Vidhana Soudha, he said the government had taken a historic decision to ensure that farmers benefited from the increase.
"My father is also a farmer. If he gets Rs 7 more, what is wrong with us, the urban consumers, paying an additional Re 1 to buy milk? Should we think twice about giving money to our own fathers?" he asked.
On the alleged fake video involving former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Cheluvarayaswamy said an investigation was underway into the creation and circulation of the footage purportedly released in the name of a sting operation.
"Those who created the fake video are guilty, and those who circulated it are equally responsible. We have now received information about those who leaked it. Legal action will also be taken against those who circulated it on social media," he said, adding that Home Minister G. Parameshwara would provide details about the investigation.
He asserted that attempts to circulate fake videos would not damage Siddaramaiah's public image and that people would not accept such efforts.
The minister alleged that the video had been prepared by offering inducements to certain people despite the absence of evidence against Siddaramaiah. Those involved should have understood the consequences before targeting the former Chief Minister, who had spent several decades in politics, he said.
The investigation would establish who was involved in releasing the video in Delhi, where the mobile phone used in the operation had been obtained and who circulated the footage on social media, he said.
Some people associated with the JDS social media wing had been arrested in connection with the case, while some others were reportedly absconding, Cheluvarayaswamy said. He urged people to wait until the investigation was completed for the full facts to emerge.
On the demand for an increase in sugarcane prices, the minister said the Union government had the final authority to decide the issue, as it was responsible for fixing the minimum support price (MSP).
The state government would cooperate with the Centre in this regard, he said, adding that the Chief Minister had already intervened in response to farmers' demands and that the state had also exerted pressure on the Union government.
"The Centre should now stand by our farmers," he said.