'Devotees' Ghee Is Enough': Devaswom Board Rejects Milma Ghee for Sabarimala
Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board has decided not to buy Milma ghee for Sabarimala during the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. Instead, Aravana Payasam and Appam will be prepared only using the ghee brought by devotees.
The decision comes while an investigation is underway into the alleged replacement of Milma ghee with low-quality ghee during transport to Sabarimala.
The preliminary investigation found that some Devaswom Board employees had allegedly helped Milma officials supply the fake ghee. A former Administrative Officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board is said to have acted as a middleman. The report also says that both the Devaswom Board and Milma management were informed about the issue, but no investigation was started at that time.
The findings are part of a preliminary report prepared by the Devaswom Vigilance Wing. The report lists the alleged irregularities and recommends checking the financial dealings of the officials involved.
After finding that Devaswom officials may have helped Milma staff, the Board decided to investigate the role of its own officials. The inquiry found that the supply of more than 1.5 lakh litres of adulterated ghee was part of a planned operation.
To examine the financial loss caused by the supply of poor-quality ghee, the Dairy Development Department appointed a four-member committee led by Joint Director Sheeba Khamar. The Devaswom Minister also asked the Devaswom Secretary to conduct a separate inquiry.
A report by the Dairy Development Department had earlier confirmed serious irregularities in Milma's ghee supply to Sabarimala. It said that more than 1.5 lakh litres of poor-quality ghee reached Sannidhanam, causing a loss of more than ₹85 lakh to Milma.