Minister justifies supply of milk by private agencies

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 5. The Agriculture and Dairy Development Minister, Ms. K.R. Gouri, has justified the supply of milk by private agencies from both within and outside the State.

Replying to questions in the Assembly today, Ms. Gouri said she saw nothing wrong in private agencies procuring milk locally or importing it from neighbouring States since Milma did not have sufficient capacity to meet the entire demands in the State.

She said the Government was in discussion with certain outside agencies for procuring milk produced within the State and market it. She also informed the House that the Government had not contemplated imposition of entry tax on milk bring brought in from the neighbouring States. If entry tax were to be imposed on milk, the State would have to do the same in respect of several other items, she pointed out.

The Agriculture Minister said the Government proposed to authorise the Dairy Department to conduct quality checks on milk being brought in from outside. At present, only the Health Department had the authority to do this, she added.

Ms. Gouri said there was no cause for concern about the future of the Ernakulam Regional Cooperative Milk Supply Union as the agreement with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) envisaged the return of the union, which now has an accumulated loss of Rs. 16 crores. Dr. V. Kurien had also promised to see if representatives of APCOS cooperatives in the region could be included on the director board of the proposed joint venture, she added.

Loan waiver Bill: In a written answer, Ms. Gouri said the Government has decided to bring forward a legislation to grant loan waiver to the farming sector. Details of the proposed legislation are being worked out, she said.

The Local Self-Government Minister, Mr. Cherkalam Abdulla, told the House that the Government proposed to authorise banks to collect building tax in places where the department did not have sufficient hands to collect the tax. He also assured the House that the Government would ensure absolute transparency when revising the building tax. Building tax was revised last in 1993.

The Finance and Excise Minister, Mr. K. Sankaranarayanan, said in a written reply that the Government anticipated a revenue of Rs. 1,735.52 crores from sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation during 2001-02 fiscal year. During 2000-01, the Government had earned Rs. 1,025.93 crores from such sale, he said.

Replying to another question, he said the Government is now earning Rs. 4.75 crores from the sale of IMFL. When IMFL was being sold by private contractors, the Government used to earn Rs. 3.42 crores. The Beverages Corporation had already started 186 retail outlets and would start 63 more very soon. It has also been decided to start another 55 retail outlets, the Minister said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Where Muslim League lets Muslim women down
Next     : Row over land: KU counters Christ Church claim