Mehsana Dairy union accuses govt custodians of 27crore loss

VADODARA: Mehsana-based Dudhsagar Dairy has called for a coordination committee (sankalan samiti) meet on October 20 to discuss ways through which the dairy can recover its losses allegedly caused by the custodian committee appointed by the state government last year.
The meet is expected to witness a turnout of 400 persons including leaders of the co-operative sector and leading milk producers from the region.
The term of the custodian committee which had six political leaders, two government representatives and two representatives of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation had ended on January 1 this year as the new elected body took charge of the dairy union on January 2.
The move comes just days after the dairy union submitted a complaint to state's director general of police, director of anti-corruption bureau (ACB) and Mehsana ACB alleging that the custodian committee had caused losses to the tune of Rs 27 crore to the dairy. It was in April 2015 that the registrar of co-operatives had appointed a custodian committee which was again re-constituted in July 2015 based on a directive from Gujarat High Court.
It is alleged that the members of the custodian committee on September 23 last year passed a resolution to decrease prices of cattle feed bag (each of 70 kilogram) from Rs 950 to Rs 900. The new prices became effective from October 1 last year.
The dairy has alleged that the decision which was allegedly taken for personal benefits by the members of the custodian committee resulted into loss of Rs 178.22 per cattle feed bag to the dairy union.
In its complaint, the dairy has stated that the actual production price per cattle feed bag is nearly Rs 1,122.72 but the custodian committee reduced the market prices of the cattle feed even as the prices of raw material for production of cattle feed hadn't reduced.
It is also alleged that the committee took the decision without considering profit and loss account and surpassed its authority as it was not appointed for any policy decision but only for day to day monitoring and election purpose.