The Tamilnadu Chief Minister Ms. J.Jayalalithaa has announced a hike in bus fares and milk prices. In a press release on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that the State wasforced to increase the bus fares and milk prices to save the loss making public sector undertakings from becoming dysfunctional. She said that the State Cabinet has discussed in detail about the present situation.Hinting at a hike in electricity fares, she said that the decision was left the State electricity regulatory authority to decide on the prices.According to the announcement, Standardised Aavin Milk would now cost Rs.24/- per litre instead of Rs.17/- per litre.Similarly the bus fares have been hiked from the present 28 paise per km to 42 paise per km in mofussil areas and that of the Express and Semi deluxe buses from 32 paise to 56 paise. The fares of Super deluxe and Volvo buses were hiked from 38 paise to 60 paise and that of the Ultra deluxe buses from 52 to 70 paise.The Chief Minister said that the Cabinet had also decided to hike the minimum bus fares in metros other than Chennai from Rs. 2 to three and the maximum from Rs. 7 to Rs.12/- Criticising the Centre for not heeding to her demands on various needs of the State, Ms.Jayalalithaa said that it was necessary to take a decision on the hike.