The Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, also known as Milma, has denied any lapses on its part in the supply of ghee to the Sabarimala temple. According to Milma chairman K.S. Mani, the ghee was supplied after stringent quality checks. He emphasized that genuine, premium-quality ghee was dispatched from Milma to Sabarimala, packed in sealed 15 kg tins, making in-transit alteration or tampering impossible.
The sealed consignments were received at the TDB godown by TDB officials, and thereafter, the handling and use of the ghee was outside Milma’s control. The allegations pertain to ghee supplied by Milma’s Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union from its Pathanamthitta dairy. Mr. Mani welcomed the investigation into the allegations, stating that if indeed Milma ghee was replaced with substandard product after delivery, it would amount to a serious offence.
Milma has not received any official communication from the Travancore Devaswom Board regarding complaints about the quality of the ghee supplied to Sabarimala. Furthermore, Milma has received full payment for the supplies. Following the allegations, the managing director of the Milma federation had sought explanations from the TRCMPU managing director on two occasions, but no reply has been received to date.
Mr. Mani clarified that the TDB has not stated anywhere that it will cease to take Milma ghee. Instead, the TDB’s decision is to cease outside procurement of ghee since the ghee donated by devotees are sufficient to meet the requirements at Sabarimala. It is worth noting that Milma’s TRCMPU has been in the news after its director board was dissolved recently by the Dairy Development Board citing
