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Chandigarh/Ludhiana: The Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited on Friday suspended three officials of its Ludhiana unit after the Army rejected a consignment of Verka whole milk powder over quality concerns.
Those suspended include Daljit Singh (General Manager), Guriqbal Singh (Manager–Quality) and Paritosh Mishra (Manager–Production). The action has been taken under Rule 61 of the Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Employees Service Rules, 2023 for alleged grave misconduct.
Quality Lapse Cited
The suspension order noted that the lapse in quality control had compromised the credibility of Milkfed and its Verka brand products.
The issue pertains to a 125 metric tonne consignment supplied earlier this year by the Ludhiana District Cooperative Milk Producers Union, which was rejected by the Army.
- The rejection was first communicated on February 12
- A 753 kg sample, retested on appeal, was again rejected on March 16
- The rejection was reportedly due to the presence of extraneous substances
Officials to Face Inquiry
During the suspension period, all three officials will remain posted at the Milkfed head office, while disciplinary proceedings are being initiated against them.
Milkfed Calls It Isolated Case
Milkfed has maintained that the episode is a one-off incident, asserting that its supplies to the Army continue without disruption.
Managing Director Rahul Gupta said the cooperative supplies Verka products—including milk, cheese, lassi and flavoured milk—worth around ₹100 crore annually to the Army.
He added that Milkfed follows a multi-layered quality assurance system, with rigorous checks at every stage from procurement to final product. The incident has raised concerns over quality oversight in institutional supplies, even as Milkfed moves to fix accountability and reassure its key clients.
