Visakhapatnam: The Assembly Committee, which was formed to investigate the irregularities in Visakha Dairy, inspected the dairy premises on Monday. Following the inspection, MLA Jyothula Nehru, who heads the committee, stated that their doubts had increased after the inspection. He also announced that they would appoint an expert committee to help the committee in the probe and an audit would be conducted on Visakha Dairy.
Speaker Ayyannapatrudu formed the committee to probe the alleged irregularities in the dairy with MLA Jyothula Nehru as its head and MLAs Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Palla Srinivasa Rao, Gauthu Sirisha, R.V.S.K.K. Ranga Rao and Datla Subbaraju as members.
During their inspection, Nehru noted that the dairy chairman was absent, with only the managing director (MD) providing testimony to the committee. Nehru said the committee plans to conduct a public opinion survey in the four districts in which the Visakha Dairy operates. “The committee's objective is to reach decisions that safeguard the interests of dairy farmers and ensure that no detrimental impact would be there on their livelihoods. Following the committee's findings, a comprehensive report will be compiled and presented to the Assembly,” he explained.
MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao emphasised that the House Committee was formed due to numerous suspicions and doubts regarding the dairy’s modus operandi. He mentioned that while dairy farmers reported reduced payments, the management denied such claims. Palla asserted that the House Committee would re-examine the dairy finances to address these concerns.
Following the visit to the Visakha Dairy, the committee held a meeting at the Vizag collectorate, attended by district officials from various departments, including district collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad. During the meeting, the committee members requested comprehensive information regarding the regulations observed during the transition from a society to a corporate structure, the status of ongoing legal proceedings, and other pertinent matters.
The MD was queried about the administration of lands, trusts, hospitals, ice cream production facilities and the purported involvement of relatives of the dairy chairman in the activities of the organisation. When the MD could not provide satisfactory responses on the court cases and their current status, the collector instructed that the MD submit all relevant documentation about dairy management, audit reports and details of the court cases for the committee's review.
The involvement of an expert committee and the planned audit are expected to clarify the alleged irregularities. The committee's findings and recommendations will be crucial in addressing the issues and restoring confidence among the stakeholders.
