Sabarimala ghee supply in a bind; TDB opens talks with Milma

PATHANAMTHITTA With the Mandala-Makaravilakku season in Sabarimala barely a week away, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is turning to Milma once again to plug the gap in ghee supply after two rounds of tendering failed to find eligible bidders. The board had invited bids for 50,000 litres of ghee but failed to find eligible suppliers. Though Milma did not participate in the tender, the TDB has been holding discussions with office-bearers of the Milma Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union.

TDB president K. Jayakumar said the board was yet to take a final call on procuring ghee from Milma for Aravana production and would seek legal advice before deciding on the matter. Anticipated shortfall According to him, the anticipated shortfall at the beginning of the season was only around 10,000 litres and there was no immediate cause for concern over availability.

Ghee supplies were expected to increase once the temple opens on November 16, though the shortfall could affect production until then.