Mumbai: Observing that the petitioner is not an expert in fiscal matters, the Bombay High Court recently junked a petition filed by an agriculturist for a standardised rate of milk across Maharashtra. The agriculturist had urged the HC to fix a standard price for milk in the state.
A bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Nitin Jamdar, however, noted that petitioner Vitthal Pawar has not studied the issue properly and thus, junked his public interest litigation.
"There are various conditions such as environmental factors, geographical conditions, temperature, humidity, rainfall and availability of fodder which affects the purchase price of milk in the open market.
The government while fixing the purchase price of the milk has to consider the cost of milch animals, dry fodder, animal feed, labour expenses etc," the bench noted.
The bench further noted that the empowered committee, which is tasked to fix prices of milk has considered various factors for determining the cost of production per liter of milk.
“The petitioner (Pawar) is not an expert in fiscal matters. He has also not done any study of what would be the cascading effect of altering an existing pricing mechanism.
This, it is not possible for us in this public interest litigation to issue sweeping directions as sought by him," CJ Nandrajog said while dismissing his plea.
In his petition, Pawar had sought a direction to the government for providing Minimum Support Price (MSP) of milk on the basis of its region-wise cost of production, to the farmers.
He had also made representations along with thr Agriculturists Associations to the authorities, requesting for certain rate to be determined for milk.
On the other hand, the government in its reply contended that it does not fix for milk rates and instead it is determined by considering the various market forces.
