Ludhiana: Verka alleges unfair treatment in booth allocation at PAU

Punjab-based dairy cooperative Verka has alleged that Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is favoring Gujarat-based Amul by granting it a prime location in the newly developed Student Park while neglecting Verka’s request for a booth in the same area.

According to Verka officials, their application for a booth at Student Park has been pending for over a month with no positive response from the university. “I had a conversation with the vice chancellor, and he told me that the file was under process. He’s the top official of the university. I fail to understand what process was left now that he has the file,” said Tejinder Singh Dhillon, director of Verka Plant, Ludhiana.

The controversy stems from the recent demolition of old booths near the student home to make way for the Student Park in front of the university library. As a result, existing booths were relocated, with Amul securing a spot in the new park. Verka, however, claims its request for a similar relocation has been overlooked, despite its status as a Punjab-based cooperative committed to the state’s dairy sector.

“Verka is a Punjab-based co-operative working to develop the dairy sector in the state. While Amul is based out of Gujarat, how is it that a government agricultural university, whose sole purpose is to promote agriculture in Punjab, is ignoring a local agency doing the same?” questioned Dharminder Singh, Verka’s area marketing officer.

Additionally, Verka representatives argue that their allocated booth is in a less prominent location with lower footfall, making it harder for them to compete. “The location of our booth isn’t as prominent as Student Park. It gets very low footfall. We have asked to at least transfer the booth to Student Park, but that is also not being accepted yet,” claimed Dharminder Singh.

However, PAU officials have defended their decision, stating that the booths were not allotted afresh but simply relocated. They said that Amul already had a long-standing agreement with the university.

“The booths haven’t been allotted afresh. They have been merely shifted nearby due to the development of Student Park. We have an old MoU with Amul which we are bound to respect,” explained Tejinder Singh Riar, additional director of communications at PAU.