Ludhiana, April 12: A Nawanshahr resident has approached the Registrar of Cooperative Societies in Punjab with claims of a Rs 5.42 lakh embezzlement involving the Verka Milk Plant in Ludhiana. The complainant, Bhagwan Dass, asserted that plant officials attempted to conceal the illegal sale of goods by categorizing the missing inventory as expenditure for Diwali gifts intended for government personnel.
The formal complaint, submitted on April 4, names General Manager Daljit Singh and Deputy General Manager Harjinder Singh as the parties responsible for the misappropriation of goods valued at Rs 5,42,030. According to the document, the items were allegedly diverted to the open market for private gain. While Daljit Singh remains under suspension for an unrelated incident, Harjinder Singh continues to serve as the plant’s officiating manager.
Dass maintained that the officials drafted a misleading office note to gain board approval under the umbrella of promotional activities. He declared that such funds are strictly reserved for public outreach and consumer events rather than personal or administrative gifting. “The accused were trying to legalise the misappropriation by showing it as expenditure incurred on Diwali gifts for government officials,” Dass stated in his filing.
Responding to the claims, Harjinder Singh noted that he was not stationed in Ludhiana when the concerns initially surfaced. He affirmed that the administrative process regarding the funds remains ongoing. “The proposal of purchasing gifts was rejected by the board,” Harjinder Singh asserted. He further stated that higher authorities will determine the final resolution regarding the missing amount.
Daljit Singh refrained from addressing the specific details of the allegation, citing his current suspension. He did, however, mention that the plant had terminated the complainant’s employment several years prior. The complaint further suggested a history of similar conduct, alleging one official had previously faced scrutiny for misappropriating dairy products under the guise of gifts at a separate facility in Bassi Pathana.
