Dead people being paid for milk in Vadodara cooperative scam?

Vadodara: Are deceased people supplying milk to a cooperative in Vadodara district? That's the shocking claim made by Savli BJP MLA Ketan Inamdar, who has alleged large-scale financial irregularities in the Merakuva village milk producers' cooperative in Desar taluka.

In a letter to the managing director of Baroda Dairy, the state govt, the district cooperative registrar and other officials, Inamdar cited five cases where payments were made to individuals long after their deaths. The Merakuva cooperative is affiliated with Baroda Dairy, which operates across Vadodara and Chhotaudepur districts.

According to Inamdar, the five people died between 2019 and 2024. Yet, from 2020 onward, Rs 39.93 lakh was paid into their accounts for milk they allegedly poured. The funds were withdrawn regularly by unknown persons.

He pointed out a striking irregularity: the same amounts were credited at regular intervals into the deceased members' accounts. "This is suspicious," said Inamdar. "Milk payments usually vary depending on the fat content and quantity, which are rarely uniform."

Inamdar dismissed the possibility that family members were supplying milk in place of the deceased. Instead, he alleged that no milk was supplied at all and the payments were part of a broader scam involving corrupt officials.

He demanded a thorough investigation, warning that the scam could be much larger than what has been uncovered so far.