BJP attacks TN govt over Aavin milk shortage, urges immediate corrective steps

CHENNAI: Stepping up its attack on the C Joseph Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government over the shortage of Aavin milk, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran on Monday (June 29) alleged that the decline in production and distribution reflected administrative failure and warned that it was affecting the health and daily lives of the public.

Referring to a DT Next report, Nainar Nagenthran said Aavin’s daily milk distribution had fallen by nearly 30 per cent in several key parts of the State. He claimed that in Chennai, the daily supply had declined from around 16 lakh litres in April to about 13.5 lakh litres at present.

“The Joseph Vijay government is crippling Aavin’s milk production and playing with the health of the people,” he said.

Nainar said successive governments had failed to protect people’s basic needs. “Be it the previous Stalin government or the present Joseph Vijay government, the first casualty after assuming office has been essential public services,” he said.

The BJP leader recalled that his party had earlier raised concerns over the gradual reduction in the production of Aavin’s Green Magic milk packets owing to rising production costs. “Those who rushed to defend the government when we highlighted the issue should now explain the present decline in milk supply,” he said.

Alleging that the government had failed to increase milk production by strengthening procurement for Aavin, Nagenthran said the administration’s inability to improve procurement and reduce operational costs had resulted in the present situation. “The government’s administrative failure cannot be allowed to jeopardise the health of the people,” he said.

He urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to take immediate steps to restore uninterrupted Aavin milk supply across Tamil Nadu. If the government lacked the expertise to efficiently manage a public-sector dairy cooperative, it should seek guidance from states that had successfully run government-owned milk federations, including Amul, he added.