Spurious paneer made way into popular eateries via ghost dairies

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 28

To jack up profits, factory owners with political affiliations in the state used spurious milk — containing chemicals, including detergents — to manufacture paneer and ghee without the fear of the law in connivance with Health Department officials, against whom no action has been initiated thus far.

These factory owners earned crores over the past 10 years, many selling products to ghost dairies which would further sell these to prominent sweets shops and bakeries, sources in the Health Department  told The Tribune.

“For most of these manufacturers, it was a rags-to-riches story. They earned enough to send their wards abroad for studies and bought high-end cars and properties. To ensure their business was undisturbed, they generously donated funds to various parties for electioneering,” a top official revealed.

Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Patiala SSP, explained: “These factories used about 1,000 litres of milk made of poor quality milk powder, urea or some detergent. About 200 litres of this ingredient would be boiled at 80 degrees and a layer formed at the top by using some chemical, instead of lime, extracted. Likewise, 200 litres of refined oil would be boiled and the layer at the top removed. Later, this mixture would be poured into the remaining 800 litres and the temperature was gradually brought down by 10 to 15 degrees, yielding a semi-solid product.

“This product was poured into specially designed tumblers and flattened with machines. Left for a few hours, it was then cut into 5-kg bricks of paneer.” The SSP said what was even more worrying was that the residue water carrying chemicals was drained into borewells dug for the purpose, polluting underground water.

  During questioning, one of the accused factory owners, Anil Kumar Singla of Devigarh, reportedly confessed that he would pay officials Rs 15,000 for every seized sample that was cleared by them. 

 Farmers’ unions in Punjab lament that spurious milk products have caused huge losses to dairy owners and want immediate action against the erring officials. Warning of more raids, KS Pannu, Director, Tandarust Mission, says he will recommend stern action against them.

 “None of the MLAs want to talk about the matter,” claims Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi.  “The issue ought to be raised in the Vidhan Sabha and the Health Minister asked to spell out the action to be taken against the department officers involved in the scam,” he says.

Preparing the dangerous concoction 

• Milk made from poor quality milk powder, urea & detergent 
• Portion of this mixture boiled at 80 degrees; a layer formed at the top extracted
• Likewise, refined oil boiled and the layer at the top removed
• This mixture poured into the remaining one, temperature lowered, yielding a semi-solid product
• Product  poured into tumblers and flattened; left for a few hours, cut into 5-kg bricks of ‘paneer’