#Odisha OMFED dairy farmers spill thousands of litre of milk on road at #Bargarh

The dairy farmers justified their act alleging indifference of OMFED in procuring their milk. The Sambalpur Milk Union of the State-owned cooperative body had recently rejected milk from farmers after finding traces of adulteration.

Peeved by the rejection, the milk producers from Bargarh, Barpali and Bheden not only transported their milk to Bargarh and dumped it on the road today, they also turned their ire on the OMFED tanker which was carrying about 6,103 litres.

Managing Director of OMFED Bishnupada Sethi has directed General Manager of Samaleswari Regional Cooperative Milk Union to lodge an FIR against those responsible for spilling the milk.

Last week, members of a political party had held a similar agitation in Bhubaneswar by spilling milk on the roads.

The dairy farmers of Bargarh said, the rejection by OMFED was to suppress its failure to market milk. “How can the good quality milk turn adulterated in the Chilling Plant?” President of Bargarh Zilla Dugdha Utpadaka Krushaka Sangha Sureshwar Satpathy said. He alleged an unholy nexus between OMFED officials and private milk producers who are expanding their base in the market.

Earlier, OMFED was procuring about 1 lakh litre of milk from Bargarh district which is now down to 70,000 litres, Satpathy said adding, the farmers were forced to take the drastic action after their repeated plea to the authorities failed to move them. The rejection by OMFED to procure milk has hit the dairy farmers hard and they are sustaining huge losses, he said.

Describing it as a “sad incident,” Sethi said, the Sambalpur Union of OMFED had returned 5,941 litre milk after it tested positive for adulteration such as sugar and salt. “There is no restriction on milk procurement but quality can not be compromised,” he told this paper.

GM of Samaleswari Milk KK Naik said it was not a new phenomenon as OMFED has rejected milk in the past too, including 1000 litres on Wednesday.