Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Dairy Bachao Panel on Friday alleged frauds by the former Board of Directors and said that its main aim, if elected to the Dairy board, is to reduce milk prices
Elections to the Board of Directors of Goa Dairy were held in January this year, wherein 37 chairmen of various local milk societies that are members of Goa Dairy had filed their nomination papers. During scrutiny, the returning officer had rejected 25 nomination papers of opposition groups allowing the Sahakari panel to get elected unopposed.
Twelve of the 25 members whose nomination papers were rejected had challenged the order of Returning Officer in the High Court, which had stayed the election and directed them to appeal before the Co-operative Tribunal. After hearing the plea, the Tribunal quashed the elections and ordered re-election to Dairy Board.
Addressing the media, Goa Dairy Bachao Panel member, Shivanand Bhakre said, “The new date for the elections is May 7 and if we as a panel get elected our main aim will be to reduce the rising milk prices and also conduct an inquiry into the various scams. Some changes need to come in the administration of Goa Dairy, without which the survival of dairy farmers is difficult.”
He added, “There are many frauds in Goa Dairy such as green fodder fraud, ice cream plant fraud, cattle feed plant fraud and lastly unopposed election fraud and all of these have happened in the last five years and no action has been taken till now.”
The panel said there is not a single scheme running from Goa Dairy for farmers .
and it is only because of government schemes that farmers are surviving.
“All the factors above has made the government to allow Sumul to collect milk in Goa and Goa Dairy has failed to control farmers from joining Sumul. It is natural that farmers will go anywhere if they are getting more price then the existing” he added.
