Milk prices will go up by up to Rs 3 per litre from Friday.

While the Bihar Milk Co-operative Federation Ltd (Comfed), popular as Sudha, blames fuel price hike and the goods and services tax (GST) for the hike, the government supported the move, saying it would benefit farmers.

The price of 12 out of 13 varieties of milk has been hiked. Only the price of 200ml of double-toned milk remains unchanged at Rs 7.

From Friday, consumers will have to pay Rs 48 (Rs 3 more) for a litre of Sudha Gold and Rs 24 (Re 1 more) for half a litre of Sudha Gold. Also, the price of 1 litre of cow milk has been raised from Rs 37 to Rs 40 and that of half a litre from Rs 19 to Rs 20.

A Sudha press note confirmed fuel price hike and GST are behind the increase in milk prices. The note said prices of all variants of Sudha pouch milk were being raised beginning September 22 'in view of the hike in milk producer's price for dairy co-operative societies of Comfed and general hike in other overheads...for running dairy plants<>, like rate of diesel, electricity charge, enhanced cost of packing materials because of GST etc'.

'The milk price has been increased to give relief to farmers who were complaining they were not benefiting from milk production,' Patna Dairy project director Sudhir Kumar Singh told The Telegraph .

Sudha has over 2.5 lakh members. Milk is purchased from farmers on the basis of quality and composition of fat in it. 'The commission for sale of milk remains unchanged and rates printed on milk pouches will not be changed till current stocks last,' Singh said. 'New rates will be shown by ink on the milk pouches.'

While the state-run dairy is candid enough to accept fuel price hike and GST hit milk prices, chief minister Nitish Kumar has in the recent past defended both issues amid criticism by several Opposition parties.

Animal and fish resources department minister Pashupati Kumar Paras supported the rise in milk prices citing the same reason - that it was necessary to provide benefits to milk farmers. 'The price has been raised to give benefit to milk farmers,' Paras said. 'Without increasing the price we would not have been able to provide them benefits. Let me also say that there would be no burden on consumers.'

The RJD, on other hand, slammed the state government for raising milk prices during the festive season. 'The state government has not taken a good decision by increasing milk prices, that too in the festive season when requirement increases manifold,' RJD MLA Bhai Birendra said. 'The government should have cut down prices of milk and milk products during the festive season. Its intention is questionable. The government will not pass on the benefits to farmers.'

Patna residents consume 3.5 lakh litres of milk daily.

Consumers expressed their disappointment.

Sushma Sharma, a Boring Road resident, said: 'Prices of essential commodities have already gone up, raising the kitchen budget. This rise in milk prices will put an additional burden. As a housewife, I demand a rollback of the milk price hike.'