PATNA: The state-owned Patna Dairy Project on Thursday hiked its Sudha milk prices by Rs 2 to 3 per litre with effect from Friday.While Sudha Gold milk will now cost Rs 48 in place of Rs 45, Sudha Shakti milk's new price is Rs 41, Rs 2 up from existing Rs 39. Sudha Cow milk will cost Rs 40 in place of Rs 37, while Sudha Toned milk will sell for Rs 37 in place of Rs 35. Sudha Double-toned milk has been priced at Rs 34 against existing Rs 32.Sources in the Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation Limited (Comfed), which sells milk and dairy products under Sudha brand, attributed the hike to increase in procurement cost. "Even the transportation cost has gone up due to rising diesel prices, while the cost of packaging has also increased due to GST," an official said."Comfed hiked the procurement prices by Re 1 to Rs 3.50/litre with effect from Thursday," Comfed MD Seema Tripathi told TOI, adding other costs like transportation and packaging have also gone up in recent times.Needless to say, the milk price rise during the festive season elicited angry response from homemakers. "It is unfair. We are already burdened with rise in food prices and now we will have to shell out more even for milk," said Meenakshi Pandey of Ashiana Nagar.Sweet shop owners in the state capital claimed the Comfed move would affect their profits. "If we hike prices of sweets during the festive season, customers might think we are exploiting them in view of the festivals. However, most sweet shops will increase the prices of sweets after the festivals," said Jugal Mankani, who runs a famous sweets shop on Boring Canal Road.

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