Fresh row after 2 trucks with same numbers ply for Aavin

VELLORE: Vellore Aavin has once again hit the headlines for the wrong reasons after two mini trucks meant to ferry milk were found with the same registration number plates on Tuesday evening.

It all started when Krishnagiri Aavin GM Sundaravadivelu, in charge of the Vellore facility, during his rounds in the dairy noticed a vehicle entering with the same registration number (TN 23 AC 1352) as another parked inside.

“I asked both vehicles not to move and informed the RTO,” he told DT Next. He said he also asked officials to check the CCTV footage to see how long the practice was going on.

Later in the night, one of the mini lorries, said to be without proper documents, was taken away by lorry owner Sivakumar and driver Vikki, after threatening dairy staff, Vellore Aavin AGM Siva Kumar said in a complaint lodged with Sathuvachari police on Wednesday evening.

The complaint, however, had no mention about the stolen milk.

Sundaravadivelu said eight vehicles leave the premises between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm with about 20,000 litres of milk for big institutions like CMC while in the evening 24 vehicles leave with bulk of the supply. “The culprits could have conveniently opted for the evening time,” he said.

As the incident set off alarm bells, former Aavin staff flagged attempt to pass on the blame. “Without office staff’s involvement, how can milk siphoned away in illegal lorry be accounted for in records,” they asked.

A former Chennai Aavin MD, on condition of anonymity, said, “This issue is not new. Lorries carrying unaccounted milk up to 500 litres are normal. As a guard is noting down the number of vehicles entering and leaving this cannot be a slip,” he said.

He said probe normally ends with contractor being blacklisted. “A criminal case should be filed and losses recovered,” he said.