The Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (Milkfed) on Friday suspended three senior officials of its Ludhiana unit after the Indian Army rejected large consignments of whole milk powder, citing the “presence of extraneous material” in samples, triggering administrative action and a political row in the state.
The action comes after the Army turned down two consignments—58.338 metric tonnes and 66.654 metric tonnes—supplied by the Ludhiana District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd.
The rejection was communicated through official letters dated February 12 and March 16, flagging quality concerns in the supplied batches.
Milkfed, which markets products under the Verka brand, regularly supplies milk powder, cheese, flavoured milk and other dairy products to the armed forces.
Following the development, Milkfed issued suspension orders against General Manager Daljit Singh, Production Head Paritosh Mishra and Quality Manager Guriqbal Singh. The orders were issued by Milkfed Managing Director Rahul Gupta, citing serious lapses in quality control.
A government order said, “It has come to the notice of the management that the Indian Army has rejected two consignments of milk powder (58.338 metric tonnes and 66.654 metric tonnes) supplied by the Ludhiana District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (referred to as Milk Union, Ludhiana) due to the presence of extraneous material in the samples. The same was intimated to the Milk Union vide letters dated February 12, 2026 and March 16, 2025, by the Army authorities”.
Describing the matter as serious misconduct, the order said: “This apparent grave lapse in quality control compromises the credibility of the organisation and constitutes Major Misconduct”.
It added that disciplinary proceedings are being initiated and that the General Manager has been placed under suspension with immediate effect.
Similar suspension orders were issued for the other two officials.
The Army Service Corps unit in Jammu reportedly rejected around 125 metric tonnes of the consignment, and a copy of the communication was also sent to the Ministry of Defence.
The incident has quickly escalated into a political flashpoint, with opposition leaders targeting the Bhagwant Mann-led government over alleged lapses in quality control at a state-run institution.
Critics argue that the rejection not only raises concerns about institutional accountability but also about the safety of products reaching consumers.
BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill strongly criticised the Mann government, posting on X, “Milk powder supplied to the Indian Army by Punjab Co-Op Verka rejected as substandard & the same supply chain reaches households across Punjab. Who heads Cooperation Dept – CM Bhagwant Mann ! No monitoring, no accountability—only headlines!”
“This is not an error—it is criminal negligence. The health of soldiers, children, and consumers of Verka across Punjab families cannot be compromised. Shameful & Worrying !” he added.
Other opposition figures have also termed the development an embarrassment, questioning oversight mechanisms within Milkfed and the state’s cooperative framework.
With suspensions in place and disciplinary proceedings underway, the focus is now on the outcome of the inquiry and whether further accountability will be fixed.
The episode has not only dented the credibility of a state government-run milk-producing major but also intensified political scrutiny, with potential implications for governance and quality assurance in Punjab’s cooperative sector.
– Ends
With PTI inputs
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