CHENNAI: A major scam in milk distribution, allegedly involving office-bearers of cooperative societies and employees of Aavin, misappropriation to the tune of Rs 65 lakh has been unearthed at Aavin’s Madurai district union. It is also suspected that adulterated milk was supplied to the dairy plant in Madurai. Followed by an internal inquiry, five secretaries of milk societies, and three Aavin employees have been suspended.
According to sources, the malpractice was committed in two stages, for the past few years. The company receives milk from dairy farmers at Bulk Milk Coolers (BMCs) and chilling centres at the villages, which are managed by secretaries of milk producers’ societies. The five secretaries under suspension, had allegedly procured only 50 per cent of the 7,500-8,000 litres of milk supplied to the dairy plant.
“The secretaries have compensated their supply to the plants by procuring a portion of milk from private dairy farmers at lesser price. They are also understood to have spiked the quantum of milk every day, by mixing water or by other means,” said an official privy to the inquiry.
The procurement price of a litre of Aavin milk is Rs 32, while private milk companies offer Rs 15 to 20 per litre. The issue came to the limelight during the recent lockdown, after many dairy farmers alleged that their milk was not being procured by Aavin. This was followed by an inquiry ordered by the management.
“Money for milk suppliers is transferred to their bank accounts, attached to respective societies. During securitisation of accounts, we found most of the money was transferred to those of the secretaries,” the official said.
The inquiry team also found that the secretaries had fudged the records, by including the names of members of their own family as milk suppliers. Acting on the inquiry report, Registrar of Cooperative Societies ordered suspension of secretaries – N Ramanthan (Melathirumanikam), M Mahalingam (SM Ammapatti), M Ravichandran (T Krishnapuram), Maheswaran, (N Perumalkovilpatti) and P Mokkamayan (Uthapanaikanoor) at Madurai district union.
Subsequently, the management suspended T Balu, Milk Production Manager and KM Uma Maheswari, Quality Control Manager at the Madurai dairy plant, and field officer T Palani Kumar. “The suspected involvement of quality control staff will be confirmed after testing the milk received from farmers. The tests will reveal contamination in the milk, if any,” said a senior official. M Vallalar, MD of Aavin said, “We are carrying out inquiries at places where we have received complaints of mismanagement. A digitisation of records and issuance of smart identity cards to dairy farmers linking their Aadhaar card, is also underway. Stern action will be taken against wrongdoers.”