Will request Maharashtra government to audit milk co-operatives: Sanjay Pandey

The controller of weights and measures, Sanjay Pandey, on Saturday said his department will be requesting the government to audit milk co-operatives through the comptroller and auditor general (CAG). Pandey had called for a meeting on the issue of customers being overcharged for milk.

The meeting held at JJ School of Architecture was attended by residents from different areas, distributors, co-operatives and other members who form part of the chain. It also had as its speakers — advocate Shirish Deshpande, chairman of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, Dr MS Kamath of the Consumer Guidance Society of India, and Rajiv Mishra, principal of the JJ School of Architecture.

"We will get the CAG involved to know the cost of production and the mechanism of pricing and margins. The total cost and purchase price (from farmers) needs to be ascertained. We will also request the government to audit these firms. We will talk to Mr. Bapat about this. Except Aarey, most milk co-operatives have not even shared profit and other incentive margins with us. The raids that we are conducting will not stop at only one level, they will be held at all levels of the business," said Pandey.

Milk co-operative Gokul, however, denied not sharing information on margins. "We have shared our margins," said DV Ghanekar, MD of Gokul. He made a suggestion that a consultative meeting be called with different stakeholders to chalk out a strategy.

Pandey said a follow-up meeting will take place on Monday. "This will be followed up with another meeting on May 24 in a bigger way, wherein whatever we decide on Monday will be discussed on a public platform, with citizens getting to participate. We also intend to make the law by month of May," said Pandey.

Deshpande said, "While making the law, our request will be to check overpricing instead of profiteering. That is what happens when we look at spam also."

Margins of profit and incentives was the major flash point between co-operatives, distributors and sub-distributors. At one point, the meeting seemed to be going haywire, with the milk co-operatives and sub-distributors clashing on the issue of margins. It happened when an official representing Amul demanded that authorities provide them with space in buildings to avoid overcharging.

Sub-distributors were blatant enough to acknowledge that they charge extra. "We do so because there are times when we are not given enough margin. There are times when proper bills are also not given to us," said Prakash Naikar, treasurer, Akhil Maharashtra dudh Vikreta Sangh.

"That there is only two rupees of overcharging is false. It goes up to five rupees in certain areas," said a resident who attended the meet.