Ludhiana, March 27: Three high-ranking officials at the Ludhiana District Cooperative Milk Producers Union have been placed under suspension following the Indian Army’s refusal to accept a major shipment of Verka milk powder. The suspension of General Manager Daljit Singh and two departmental managers follows a failed quality test that revealed foreign substances in the product. The Ministry-led cooperative declared that the incident constitutes a serious violation of the Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Employees Service Rules.
The controversy began in February when the Army first rejected the 125-metric-tonne lot. Internal reports indicate that a subsequent appeal and retest of the samples in mid-March confirmed the initial findings, leading to the final rejection of the consignment. Milkfed authorities stated that the presence of extraneous matter in the powder was a direct failure of the production and quality oversight teams in Ludhiana.
Managing Director Rahul Gupta maintained that the rejection was an isolated occurrence and does not reflect the federation’s broader operations. He affirmed that Milkfed successfully provides the Army with ₹100 crore worth of dairy products annually and continues to meet rigorous in-house testing standards at every stage of the manufacturing process. “Our supplies are continuing and the Army is our most valued customer,” Gupta stated regarding the ongoing partnership.
The suspended trio—Daljit Singh, Guriqbal Singh, and Paritosh Mishra—has been ordered to report to the Milkfed head office during the investigation. Officials asserted that the federation is contemplating further disciplinary measures to prevent future deviations from safety protocols. The move is seen as an effort to protect the reputation of one of Punjab’s most prominent dairy brands.
