Large scale hoarding of Aavin milk detected

CHENNAI: The vigilance department of the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited (Aavin) on Wednesday unearthed large scale hoarding of Aavin milk in MGR Nagar, K K Nagar area and seized several litres of milk packets stocked by a few dealers.

In a surprise raid, vigilance wing found that some dealers in MGR Nagar had been creating an artificial scarcity of Aavin milk in the area and then selling it for a higher price. People, who had no other choice but to buy from these dealers, were forced to pay the higher rates.

"If the sub-dealers take milk from a main dealer and then sell it for a higher price, there is little we can do about it. If our own dealers hoard milk and sell it for a higher price, we make internal inquiries and cancel the dealership if proved. However, such action cannot be taken in the case of sub-dealers. We can only seize the milk packets in such cases," said Kathirvel, general manager, marketing, Aavin.

He said he was yet to get the complete information about the raids. "We have been trying our best to curb MRP violations and have successfully controlled it in many areas. We have a meeting on Saturday where we will discuss this issue," he added.

Residents in areas like MGR Nagar and Mahabalipuram say there has been a scarcity of Aavin milk. "If you do not have a milk card, given to ration card holders, getting milk from the booths becomes very difficult. We feel these dealers are trying to create artificial demand and we have to either settle down for poor quality substitutes or pay a higher rate to get Aavin milk," said K Ramanathan of MGR Nagar.

Many private suppliers have higher prices for their products. Aavin is the most preferred brand in Tamil Nadu and has a great demand in the city.