The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State Government gunning for KMF, says Revanna

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Saturday, Nov 08, 2008
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Karnataka

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State Government gunning for KMF, says Revanna

Staff Reporter

‘Probe into its affairs have yielded nothing’

H.D. Revanna

Bangalore: The former Minister and Chairman of the Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (KMF) H.D. Revanna on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in the State was unnecessarily interfering in the affairs of the KMF and trying to destabilise the organisation in the guise of conducting some inquiries as stemming from “political vendetta.”

Displaying some records of the KMF at a press conference in Bangalore, Mr.Revanna alleged that though the Government had been ordering inquiry after inquiry, its investigating officers could not find any major deviations from the law in KMF’s functioning.

The latest order issued on November 5 by the State Government to audit the already audited accounts of the KMF from the financial year 2001-02 to 2007-08, Mr. Revanna said, was nothing but a “desperate attempt” by the State Government to put down the employees, management and milk producers, who had secured number second place in the national level for their performance. “The Directorate of Cooperative Audit has given top rating — A grade — for the KMF in their audit classification since 2003-04. Now the Government wants to audit the same records by the officials of the Directorate again and it is nothing but an attempt to tarnish the image of the cooperative organisation for political reasons,” Mr. Revanna claimed.

He pointed out that inquiries against the KMF and its affiliated milk producing cooperative societies commenced soon after it was decided to increase the milk price.

“It is clear from the records of these societies that there is an immediate need to increase the milk price keeping in mind the interest of 19 lakh milk producers and the individual societies and it is not my personnel decision not there is any politics behind this,” Mr. Revanna clarified, adding that the KMF was ready to convince the government on its need to increase milk price but the Government is not interested in talks.

Vegetable prices

“I don’t understand why the Government is keen on controlling only milk price when it is maintaining silence when vegetable prices have increased manifold,” Mr. Revanna said.

He alleged that an officer who is facing charges of corruption, including a case pending before the Lokayukta, has been asked to monitor the inquiries ordered by the Government against KMF.

Challenging the Government, he said: “It appears that the Government assumes I will run away from the post following the inquiries. I am not afraid of any inquiry.”

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