Showdown over annual bonus at Amul Dairy

Some protesters entered the dairy premises and ransacked the chairman's office and caused damage to the property

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

A lower annual bonus for 2013-14 declared by the Anand-based Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd, popularly known as Amul Dairy, led to a showdown between milk producers and the dairy management on Tuesday.

Annual bonus is declared by cooperative diaries after calculating the profits for the financial year. The Kaira Union is a member of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation.

As many as 2,000 milk producers and members of the dairy had organised a sit-in protest outside the dairy premises, demanding higher annual bonus. Some of the protesters and dairy officials entered into altercation leading to a scuffle. Some protesters entered the premises and ransacked the chairman's office and caused damage to the property.

Police was called in to control the crowd, as the agitation turned violent. Police used lathicharge to control the crowd and detained half a dozen persons. The commotion resulted in about a dozen sustaining minor injuries.

Superintendent of Police, Anand, R V Asari, said: “Some people have been detained and a case has been registered against them.”

One of the protester Kirit Patel said the dairy was being mismanaged by the present management, headed by Ramsinh Parmar, the Congress MLA from Thasra. He said the Amul Dairy management was trying to suppress the voices of the milk producers.

"We have been paid annual bonus of 7% since last three years. In contrast, other dairies are paying higher bonus to their members. Sabar Dairy in north Gujarat paid its members 12.75% as bonus in 2013-14," Patel claimed.

He said that the management of Amul Dairy was trying to suppress the voices of the milk producers. Patel further claimed, "It is because of the mismanagement by the office bearers that we are being given less annual bonus compared to other diaries."

Amul Dairy chairman Ramsinh Parmar was not available for comments.