Goras Bhandar Sealed, Milk Farmers Protest in Wardha Hundreds of milk producers in Wardha staged a protest at the district collectorate after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sealed the premises of Goras Bhandar, a historic dairy cooperative founded in 1931 by Mahatma Gandhi, Acharya Vinoba Bhave, and Jamnalal Bajaj. The FDA conducted a surprise inspection on Sunday and cited unhygienic conditions as the reason for sealing the facility. Authorities also imposed a ban on milk collection, sale, and dairy product manufacturing until further notice. Goras Bhandar plays a vital role in the local economy, collecting and distributing nearly 9,000 liters of milk daily from around 800 cattle rearers across 15 villages. Many of these farmers have supplied milk to the cooperative for generations, relying on it for their livelihoods. The institution not only distributes milk through home delivery and 11 distribution centers but also produces other dairy products, earning the trust of consumers while providing a stable market for milk producers. The sealing of Goras Bhandar has created a crisis for nearly 800 families, with farmers claiming their primary source of income has been disrupted. They demanded that while the production of dairy products be suspended, milk collection and distribution should continue to ensure their livelihoods are not entirely halted. Representatives of Goras Bhandar and the affected farmers submitted their demands to District Collector Vanmathi C, emphasizing the severe impact on the community. Vanmathi C assured the farmers that milk from all suppliers associated with Goras Bhandar would be collected and arranged for distribution to Mother Dairy to prevent waste.#food_and_drug_administration #vanmathi_c #goras_bhandar #mahatma_gandhi #acharya_vinoba_bhave
Hardship, hope & service: Vanmathi C’s rise from cow herder to Wardha collector Vanmathi C’s journey from a rural girl who herded cattle to becoming the district collector of Wardha in Maharashtra is a testament to perseverance and the transformative power of education. Born into a modest family in Erode, Tamil Nadu, her early years were marked by financial struggles. Her father worked as a taxi driver, and the household often faced challenges in meeting basic needs. As a child, she assisted her mother with domestic tasks and frequently took cows to graze, all while carrying a book to study whenever she found a quiet moment. This habit of learning, despite hardship, laid the foundation for her future. Her determination to pursue a better life crystallized during a visit by a district collector to her school. The authority and responsibility associated with the role left a lasting impression, sparking her ambition to one day hold such a position. Later, a television serial depicting a woman in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) further solidified her resolve. After completing her schooling, she pursued a degree in computer applications and later earned a postgraduate qualification. To support herself during her preparation for competitive exams, she worked as an officer at Indian Overseas Bank. This role exposed her to the socio-economic challenges faced by rural communities, deepening her understanding of the issues she wished to address. Balancing work and study was arduous; between 2012 and 2014, she conducted coaching classes to fund her preparation. Despite early setbacks and societal pressures, she persisted. In 2015, she cleared the Union Public Service Commission exam and joined the IAS, securing the Maharashtra cadre.#maharashtra #vanmathi_c #wardha #maharashtra_cadre #ajit_pawar
