Keralam Assembly: Govt will recover ₹75.5-lakh loss from Sabarimala ghee irregularities, says Minister Bindhu Krishna

The Keralam government will recover the estimated ₹75.5-lakh loss incurred by the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union (TRCMPU) in connection with alleged irregularities in the supply of ghee to Sabarimala from those found responsible after receiving the final investigation report, Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry Minister Bindhu Krishna told the Assembly on Friday.

Replying to questions during Question Hour, Ms. Krishna said all files relevant to the purported scam have been handed over to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).

According to her, the Dairy Development Department’s preliminary inquiry found that the TRCMPU had supplied 1,55,010 litres of ghee to Sabarimala at ₹510 per litre, against a wholesale price of ₹552.42 and a market price of ₹720 per litre, resulting in a significant loss. The regional union had been dissolved after the preliminary inquiry found serious irregularities. Further departmental proceedings were in their final stages, she added.

Contractor’s role under lens

The Minister also said the role of the contractor responsible for transporting ghee to Sabarimala is also under investigation. The Pathanamthitta dairy had awarded a contract to a company to supply ghee to Sabarimala at ₹18 per 15-litre tin. The firm had also received a wholesale dealership to distribute Milma products at Sabarimala and surrounding areas. 

The reported allegations that the ghee dispatched from the Pathanamthitta dairy was diverted and replaced with lower-quality ghee procured from Tamil Nadu before being packed in Milma-labelled tins were also a subject of the ongoing investigation.

Health and Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan told the Assembly that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) would establish a mechanism to test ghee at Pampa before being transported to the Sabarimala Sannidhanam this year. The Board has assured the government that the product’s quality would be verified at Pampa and that only ghee meeting the required standards would be taken to the shrine, he said.