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Harassed by frequent increase in milk prices and problems with the quality of milk supplied through various outlets, a clutch of private milkmen from the National Capital Region of Delhi have decided to start a ‘Milk City’ outside the city precincts and distribute milk at rates which are almost Rs 10-7 per litre less than the current prices.
The city which is expected to come up in a 300 acre of land in Gurgaon will be developed through the cooperative model, Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, president of private milkmen association said. He said milk would be sold at a flat rate of Rs 30 per litre, which is less than the current price of milk in the capital.
Ahluwalia said that around 100,000 cattle will be housed in the ‘Milk City’ and around 10,000 litres of milk will be sold either raw or processed every day.
“What we have decided that instead of distributing milk through conventional methods like vends, we will have direct link with resident welfare societies and housing societies in the national capital region. Members from the housing societies will themselves nominate their representatives who would come to the Milk City and get milk extracted and processed right in front of them and then we will ensure it is delivered to the societies,” Ahluwalia said.
He said private milkmen have decided to sell the milk on their own because big cooperatives and corporations fleece both the farmers and consumers, by purchasing milk at low prices from farmers and then selling it at high rates to consumers.
“In the process big corporate and companies make supernormal profits at the expense of both the farmers and consumers,” Ahluwalia said.
He said to end this process; private milkmen have decided to adopt this unique concept of ‘Milk City’. Around 8,600 milkmen from areas adjoining the National Capital Region like in districts of Jhunjhunu, Mewat and Alwar have already registered with the ‘Milk City’. In the initial days around 10,000 litres of milk will be processed in the city which will later scale up to 25,000 litres
