Ludhiana, April 12: Officials at the Ludhiana Verka Milk Plant face accusations of misappropriating public funds and inventory totaling more than Rs 5 lakh. Bhagwan Dass of Nawanshahr filed a petition with the Punjab Registrar of Cooperative Societies, stating that high-ranking managers illegally sold plant property and later attempted to justify the loss through fraudulent accounting of holiday gifts.
The grievance targets Deputy General Manager Harjinder Singh and General Manager Daljit Singh, alleging they handled goods worth Rs 5,42,030 without proper authorization. Dass declared that the general manager is restricted to a monthly spending limit of Rs 5,000 for documented expenses, yet no paperwork exists for this significant sum. He asserted that the accused sought to mislead the Ludhiana Milk Union chairperson by labeling the loss as a promotional expense.
In his defense, Harjinder Singh affirmed that the board had already turned down the gift purchase proposal. “I was not posted at Ludhiana when the issue was raised,” Harjinder Singh declared. He maintained that the responsibility for investigating the financial discrepancy rests with senior leadership.
The complaint noted that Milkfed regulations prohibit government-linked institutions from utilizing public money for gifts to officials. Dass declared that the shift toward “promotional activities” was a tactical move to bypass these constraints. He also stated that one of the individuals involved had a prior history of similar irregularities regarding dairy product distribution at the Bassi Pathana plant.
Daljit Singh, who is presently suspended from his duties for separate reasons, declined to comment on the specific charges within the complaint. He noted, however, that the person filing the grievance was a former employee whose services were terminated in the past. The Registrar is expected to review the claims to determine if a formal investigation into the Ludhiana facility’s financial records is required.
