The state Cooperation and Dairy Development departments are set to probe the Pune District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Association, also known as Katraj Dairy, over alleged irregularities. The dairy is controlled by leaders linked to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar.

According to an order issued by the state Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development department on Tuesday, the inquiry has been set up on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pune district secretary Dharmendra Khandare.

The order, a copy of which is with the The Indian Express, stated that Khandare had submitted a complaint about alleged irregularities in Katraj dairy with state Cooperation Minister Atul Save. “Based on the complaint, the minister for Dairy Development department (Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil) has ordered an inquiry by a five-member committee,” stated the order. The complaint, however, does not mention the nature of irregularities in the dairy.

The committee, which will include officials from these two departments, will have to submit a report within one month. It will be headed by Regional Dairy Development Officer, Nashik, Shrikant Shipurkar, while District Dairy Development officer S K Doiphode will be the member-secretary of the committee. The other three members will be from the Cooperation department.

The election for the director’s board for Katraj dairy was held in March this year and it was won by a panel comprising leaders of NCP and Congress. Leaders linked to then deputy CM Ajit Pawar were part of the panel that won the election.

The inquiry has been ordered a week before the beginning of the winter session of the state legislature.

Source : The Indian Express 14th Dec 2022 by Alok Deshpande