Mysore/Mysuru: Coming to the rescue of Mysuru District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Societies’ Union Limited (MyMUL) that is under fire for failing to prevent the thriving fake Nandini ghee racket, one of which was exposed on Dec. 20 at a factory at Hosahundi village, Mysuru District Minister S.T. Somashekar has shifted the blame on Nandini agents.
“There is no involvement of MyMUL officials or staff but we are suspecting the role of agents who distribute Nandini products in the racket. It is the agents who reach the Nandini products to the end-consumers and their role in the adulteration rackets cannot be ruled out and the Police are investigating the root of the racket,” he said addressing reporters at MyMUL Office last evening where he also held a meeting with the officials.
In case the Police investigation uncovers certain MyMUL officials and staff, if they are involved in the racket, they will be dismissed from service and their properties would be attached, the Minister added.
After the ghee adulteration racket was discovered, the Police have arrested four members and based on the information given by them, the Police have uncovered similar ghee products in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Tumakuru. “We will not spare anyone involved in the racket,” he added. The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is known for quality products and its Nandini brand ghee is used worldwide and also at Tirupati Temple to make Prasadam. “KMF has its own consumer base and over 5 crore people are consuming its products,” he said.
Special vigilance squads
On the future security steps to be undertaken in the wake of the racket, the Minister, who also heads the Cooperation Department, said that special vigilance squads have been formed comprising officers of KMF and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to check any illegal activity. “The vigilance squads will have full power to raid any of the 14 Milk Unions and can take action against any illegality,” he said.
“KMF officers have explained different types of adulteration and we are working to change the packaging to protect products. An Expert Committee has been formed to change the Nandini ghee product packaging design, introduce QR codes and holograms to prevent adulteration. The team is working on it,” Somashekar said.
He has also appealed to the general public to inform the authorities when they come across the sale of Nandini ghee and other products for a lower price. KMF squads have already seized over 8,700 litres of Nandini ghee from three different stores and sent the samples for tests from different laboratories, including Mysuru-based Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), he added. DC Dr. Bagadi Gautham, KMF Managing Director B.C. Satish, MyMUL President P.M. Prasanna, Managing Director B.N. Vijay Kumar, Addl. SP R. Shivakumar and others were present.
““There is no involvement of MyMUL officials or staff but we are suspecting the role of agents who distribute Nandini products in the racket. It is the agents who reach the Nandini products to the end-consumers and their role in the adulteration rackets cannot be ruled out and the Police are investigating the root of the racket,” he said addressing reporters at MyMUL Office last evening where he also held a meeting with the officials”
Words from a corrupt minister, defending the corrupt officials.
Any person with a normal brain size understands that the adulteration for a product like Ghee which has gone through a process, is done at the source. One can see clearly a collusion of MyMul with the agents, the latter bribing the former. Somewhere along the line, MyMUL ‘s demand for the bribe sum was not met by the agents.
The look of the minister is that of a typical corrupt politician, who knows he can get away in Modi’s India, donning a saffron shawl! Will not be in Sonia’s regime. Siddu is an example!
Can any one trust anything manufactured in this country. This is not the situation of a country that wants to be a world power.
Modi boasts India is a global pharmacy, but even the simple pain-killing tablets exported to the West, do not work!
Quality is not the hallmark of anything the is manufactured in India.
Could you use rice from the packet purchased, straight without weeding out the nicely shaped stones mixed with the polished rice?
Well, done, Independent India!!
dear captain Jack Arrow,
no need to be that critical of India and indian products. You appear to very ignorant of what is going on in the world.
In UK horse meat was mixed with beef and lamb. In China milk powder was contaminated.
now that we have found adulteration in Ghee we expect the Govt to take strict prompt action and punish those responsible in the next few months.
By doing that you are sending a signal to others that this is taken seriously and will not be tolerated.
No need to mention the present political setup as it would happened irrespective of which political party is in power.
hope this will never happen again.
@Desi
You are ignorant about the meat. the beef was found to be mixed with other meat in a large meat producing facility. That was not deliberate and was not done to get profit. In China any such adulteration is strictly punished.
About this Ghee adulteration, the very fact that a minister blames the agents is a sign that nothing will be done.
Wonderful India the land of uncorrupted people, you seem to say!!
India’ is afflicted with institutional and societal corruption. There is no denying it. Yes, all political parties there are corrupt.
jacksparoow must know about the decline of perfection in any work in any sector and corruption in our country over past several decades. Blame it on our education system. Btw Indian vaccines saved so many lives. .. For each and every thing..some people have to bring up.Modi..and carry so much hatred for our own country.