Due procedure being followed in vegetables' supply to Ker:Firm

A Karnataka based farmers firm, in which the father of Gita Gopinath, advisor to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is a director, today said it was supplying vegetables to Kerala through the state-owned Horticulture Corporation after following due procedures.
There were no irregularities and the company was supplying vegetables and fruits directly to the horticulture corporation after following transparent procedures, Raithamitra Farmers Producer Company Ltd Chairman K Shanthakumar told reporters here.
The company chairman's clarification comes in the backdrop of Congress legislator V D Sateeshan raising the issue in the just concluded assembly session during a debate on matters relating to rift between two officers of the agriculture department.

The House had witnessed noisy scenes after Satheeshan stated that the corporation was purchasing vegetables from a company, in which T V Gopinath, Gita's father, was associated with.
Gopinath was one of the directors of Raithamitra and has been associated with farmers organisations for several years.
"It is not fair to drag the names of T V Gopinath or his daughter Gita Gopinath in this," the chairman added.
They had been supplying vegetables and fruits to the state for the past three months and followed transparent procedures, Shanthakumar said, adding, the company was striving for prosperity of farmers.