Thiruvananthapuram: The state govt has ordered a departmental investigation into alleged irregularities in Milma, including supply of ghee to the Sabarimala temple. While announcing the inquiry, dairy development minister Bindu Krishna said as a vigilance investigation is under way, a broader probe is required to uncover the full extent of the alleged corruption.Devaswom minister K Muraleedharan has directed the devaswom secretary to probe the allegations of irregularities in the procurement and supply of Milma ghee to the Sabarimala temple. Earlier he had asked the devaswom commissioner to submit a report on this.Muraleedharan has alleged that both suppliers and procuring officials, including those from Travancore Devaswom Board, are part of the alleged malpractice. He said there is prima facie evidence of lapses on the part of some board officials and that action would be initiated after getting the devaswom commissioner’s report.Krishna said a three-member committee will examine the alleged irregularities in Milma, which also include procurement of milk from Maharashtra and hiring of tanker trucks for transporting milk from Andhra Pradesh. She said stringent action would be taken if the officials are found to be guilty.The controversy surfaced after the governing committee of Milma’s Thiruvananthapuram regional union was dissolved following allegations of large-scale financial irregularities.According to the preliminary findings by dairy development director, there is substance to allegations that premium-quality ghee intended for Sabarimala was diverted. The inquiry has also raised suspicions that batch numbers on ghee consignments were manipulated to evade scrutiny by the food safety department.
