Costlier milk pinches Delhiites

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Already battling rising food prices, Delhiites got a rude shock Saturday as Mother Dairy, one of the biggest suppliers of milk in and around the capital, raised its price by Rs.2 per litre.

Mother Dairy said the hike was forced by an increase in the procurement prices.

As per the revised rates, a polypack of full cream milk now costs Rs.30 per litre against its existing price of Rs.28. Toned milk, which cost Rs.22 a litre, will now cost Rs.23 a litre.

"A hike is a hike, whether it is of Rs.2 or otherwise. Everything, from bus fares to vegetables and pulses have become dearer. And now milk prices have gone up too. How am I ever going to handle these escalating prices? My monthly budget has gone for a toss," Kamla Devi, a homemaker, said.

"We keep complaining but who cares? Things continue to be more expensive. Milk is a food item that all households use everyday - for some Rs.2 may seem not much, but for people like us, spending this extra amount daily matters a lot," Savitri Devi, a domestic help, said.

"Whatever be the reason, it's always the common man who suffers. Despite all parliamentary debates and promises, even common food items like milk are now more expensive and there's nothing we can do," said Raghu Prasad Sharma, an employee in a private office.