NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Alleging that the board of directors of the Goa State Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd (Goa Dairy) headed by Madhav Sahakari has been totally unfriendly with the local dairy farmers, and besides being responsible for a major financial scam, has also stopped all dairy-related schemes during the last five years, 12-member Goa Dairy Bachao panel on Friday stated that it will contest the May 7 election, for electing the board of directors of the Goa Dairy.
It may be recalled that the High Court of Bombay at Goa had recently dismissed a petition filed by Sahakari, which challenged the order of the co-operative tribunal that ordered conduct of election to the board of directors of the Goa State Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd. The tribunal order had directed to hold fresh election and the authority has already notified election programme in order to hold the said election on May 7.
Addressing a press conference in the city, Shivanand Bakhare and the members of the Goa Dairy Bachao panel said that at least 6 to 7 members of the Sahakari panel have nothing to do with the dairy farming, and are just involved in purchasing milk from others, maintaining the minimum requirement of the same, and selling it. “On the contrary, all the members of the Goa Dairy Bachao panel are dairy farmers and have a family tradition of dairy farming,” they said.
Speaking further, Bakhare said that the Sahakari panel, during past five years had stopped all the schemes for the dairy farmers, except veterinary services-related schemes. He also charged that the Sahakari panel was responsible for downfall of the Goa Dairy, which in turn made the dairy face heavy losses, due to which the bonus as well as price difference provided to the dairy farmers was stopped.
It was further informed that the SUMUL Dairy, which made its entry into Goa, during the recent past, had succeeded in attracting many of the dairy farmers linked to the Goa Dairy. “However, we are confident that these dairy farmers will return to Goa Dairy, if the administration of the Goa Dairy is streamlined,” Bakhare observed.
Expressing confidence that it would win the May 7 election, the Goa Dairy Bachao panel stated that it has already spread awareness among the dairy farmers about the importance of electing it. “We intend to provide the best rate for milk to the dairy farmers, promptly,” the panel members stated, assuring that this rate would increase based on the basis of fat in the milk.
It was also assured that the Goa Dairy Bachao panel, in the event of being elected, would reduce the consumer rate of Goa Dairy milk while increasing the milk rate paid to the dairy farmers.
Goa Dairy has a total 165 village-level milk supplying societies as its members.