FIR filed against 17 directors of Mahanand board

An FIR has been filed against 17 directors of the Mahanand, the apex body of milk unions in Maharashtra, for alleged inappropriate disbursement of funds to a milk federation in violation of the Co-operative Act.
The FIR names NCP MLA Ramrao Vadkute, former MLA Rahul Mote and the then managing director of Mahanand S V R Shrinivas (an IAS officer) who is currently the Additional Municipal Commissioner in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, among others. These three were currently not present for the comments.
S R Naik, chairman of Maharashtra Rajya Dudh Vitarak, Vahatukdar Sanghtna, is the complainant in the case.

Naik alleges that Rahul Mote, one of the directors, used his influence to disburse Rs 65 lakh instead of Rs 2.5 lakh as an advance to the Bhoom Taluka Dudh Sangh (Bhoom Tehsil Milk Federation) in Osmanabad district in 2009.
"This is a violation of section 83 of the Cooperative Act. As per the Act, the Mahanand board can disburse an advance for up to 10 days, which is Rs 2.5 lakh," Naik said.
"It is a clear case of misappropriation of funds which may have been used for election campaigning during Lok Sabha and Assembly elections held in 2009," he alleges.

"The board conspired as all members of the board knew that the same federation is not supplying milk to Mahanand. Inspite of that, they sanctioned a post-facto proposal of disbursement of funds to the federation," he said.
There are other 105 milk federations across the state and the government should initiate an inquiry into all such cases, he said.
Dairy Development Minister Eknath Khadse said the government will look into the issue.