Bengaluru: Close to the recent increase in bus and metro train fares, the State Government in a double blow to the people, has hiked milk price and power tariff, ahead of Ugadi festival. The price rise comes as a festival shock to the people, who are already dealing with rising inflation and soaring prices of other essential commodities and services.

The milk price (Rs. 4 per litre) and power tariff hike (36 paise per unit) will come into effect across the State from Apr. 1.

The State Cabinet which met here yesterday, gave approval for the price hike.

The KMF and District Milk Unions had appealed the State Government to increase popular ‘Nandini’ milk and curd prices as the milk production cost was going up. Now, the State Government has given its nod for milk price hike by Rs. 4 a litre.

Following the revision, the price of Nandini blue packet milk will go up to Rs. 48 from the current Rs. 44 and so also is the case with all other varieties of Nandini milk. The price of curd which was Rs. 50 a litre, will now cost Rs. 54. The Government had last hiked the price of milk by Rs. 2 per litre in June last year.

The KERC (Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission) had sought the Government a substantial hike in power tariffs, following which the State Cabinet approved a 36 paise hike per unit.  The fixed fee in respect of Domestic (LT-1) power connection too has gone up. The fixed fee which was earlier Rs. 120 a KV, has now been hiked to Rs. 145. For example, a domestic consumer who had got sanction for 3 KV, had to pay a fixed fee of Rs. 360 till now. But following the revision, which comes into effect from Apr. 1, such consumers will now have to pay Rs. 435.