A CORRESPONDENT
NAZIRA: A crore-rupee dairy milk processing project at Sanbasa in Nazira has been pushed to the brink of collapse following serious allegations of financial irregularities and internal mismanagement.
The Sundarpukhuri Dairy Cooperative Society, formed by farmers of greater Nazira under the initiative of former Veterinarian of the Nazira Govt Veterinary Hospital, Dr Jagadish Barman, had emerged as a major source of livelihood for over 245 Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The cooperative claimed to contribute more than Rs 1 crore annually to the rural economy.
Under its own brand named ‘Kareng,’ the cooperative had launched a marketing network and also established a milk pasteurization plant at Sanbasa in Nazira. However, due to internal disputes and alleged mismanagement, the multi-crore project has now been shut down. Expensive machinery and equipment installed at the plant are lying abandoned and rapidly deteriorating.
Locals allege that by forming the cooperative in the names of poor and minimally educated villagers—many of whom were unaware of bureaucratic procedures—Dr Barman effectively became the de facto controller of the society. Several people have accused him of embezzling cooperative funds through calculated methods, leading to the downfall of what was once a highly promising project.
It is alleged that over Rs 1.2 crore was collected from various sources solely for the purchase of machinery and equipment. Today, those assets are rusting away due to neglect, raising serious concerns over the misuse of public funds worth crores of rupees.
Angered by the wastage of public resources, local residents have demanded a fair and impartial investigation into the matter. They have also urged the government to take immediate action against those responsible and to initiate necessary measures to revive the dairy project, which once held immense potential for rural employment and economic development.
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