Chandigarh, March 26: Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Thursday expressed serious concern regarding the Indian Army’s reported rejection of a batch of Verka dry milk.
Addressing the matter in Chandigarh, the MP questioned the state government’s monitoring systems and called for an immediate independent inquiry into the quality control protocols of the government-owned dairy brand.
Reportedly, a significant consignment of Verka whole milk powder, totaling nearly 125 metric tonnes, was rejected by an Army Service Corps unit following failed quality inspections. The supply, originating from the Ludhiana unit of Punjab’s Milkfed, was flagged by Jammu-based military officials as falling short of required benchmarks. According to reports from the state dairy cooperative, the rejected stock consisted of two separate batches of roughly 58 and 66 metric tonnes, which were ultimately declared unfit for use by the Army.
Randhawa stated that the rejection of these products by the Army raises significant questions about the standards being maintained by the current administration.
He maintained that if a product fails to meet military specifications, its potential distribution to the general public constitutes a serious threat to public health.
“The reputation of Verka, a long-standing pride of Punjab’s dairy sector, has been tarnished under the present leadership,” the MP asserted.
The former Deputy CM appealed to officials to make the quality inspection report of the rejected consignment public to ensure transparency.
He affirmed that if any negligence is discovered, those responsible must be held accountable.
He further noted that the government needs to clarify whether the milk products currently available in the market have undergone proper testing, declaring that no compromise should be made with the health of the citizens.
