A report published in Asian Age claims senior minister Eknath Khadse in the Fadnavis govt. in Maharashtra has been asking his colleague Chandrakant Patil Cooperative minister to take action against the dairy dept assistant registrar Neelima Gaikwad but to no avail.
This led to differences between the two ministers, says the report. The source claimed Ms Gaikwad was charged with shielding corruption in the state Milk Producers’ cooperative Federation ‘Mahananda’ and being involved in land deals of several taluka level milk societies.
According to the source, Mr Khadse had raised this issue in the state assembly several times when he was in the opposition. Later, the department initiated an enquiry against Ms Gaikwad and suggested dismissing her.
Nothing happened for more than a year till Mr Khadse took charge of the dairy development portfolio and instructed the then cooperative secretary Rajgopal Deora, cooperative commissioner Madhukar Chaudhari, and Mr Kerure to take action against Ms Gaikwad as she denied Mr Khadse’s order to dissolve Mahananda’s board of directors controlled by NCP.
