Kerala High Court restores elected Milma regional board

The Kerala High Court has ordered the reinstatement of the elected board of the Milma Thiruvananthapuram Regional Co-operative Milk Producers' Union. This ruling overturns a July 25 order by the Director of Dairy Development that had dissolved the board and replaced it with an administrative committee.

The dissolution followed allegations of irregularities regarding the supply and distribution of ghee to the Sabarimala temple. While the federation previously maintained that the ghee met all quality standards and was transported in sealed containers, the state government had moved to supersede the committee.

A Division Bench of Justices Dr. A. K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and A. K. Preetha set aside the previous decision, finding that the circumstances did not justify bypassing the statutory hearing and consultation processes required under the Kerala Co-operative Societies Act, 1969. The court noted that an inquiry report was already available, undermining claims that the committee might suppress evidence. The verdict restores the elected members with immediate effect, though it does not rule on the validity of the underlying allegations.