Post News Network
Rourkela, Dec 18: Even as milk adulteration has been a cause of concern for the government and dairy industries, the business is growing in rural as well as urban pockets here in Sundargarh district in connivance with dairy farm owners and traders, who supply them with fake milk powder.
According to sources, three traders in the town have been expanding their business networks by pushing fake milk powder into dairy farms in the area.
The traders smuggle in truckloads of milk powder from outside and park the vehicles in deserted places. From these places, they supply fake powder packets to dairy farm owners and sweet stalls before the crack of dawn.
While, branded milk powder is being sold in the market at a price between Rs 350 and Rs 400, price of the fake power is sold between Rs 200 and Rs 300. At least 10 litres of milk is prepared using a kg of powder and a litre of milk is sold at a price between Rs 34 and Rs 36.
According to a dairy farm owner, they mix 5 kg of milk prepared from the powder with 10 kg of cow milk.
The adulterated milk is prepared in Rourkela especially in Basanti colony, Chhend colony, Kalinga Vihar, Labour tenement, daily market, Uditnagar, STI, civil township, Panposh, Koel Nagar, Jhirpani and Jagada areas.
Residents here alleged that even though the business is rapidly growing in the locality, the administration is clueless about the adulteration of milk. When contacted, food inspector Rashmi Choudhury said he will conduct an inspection in the area and take stringent action against the guilty.
