Patanjali Accused Of Distributing Expired Food To Flood Victims In Assam

Yoga guru and (now) TV show judge, Baba Ramdev has his plate full with a lot right now and adding to that is an allegation that accuses FMCG giant Patanjali Ayurveda of distributing expired foodstuff to the victims of the recent Assam floods.

The issue was brought to light by a number of news channels that were covering the flood-affected areas in the state. According to the sources, Patanjali has given out old milk powder and juice packets, some of which expired in October last year! An Assam-based news channel, Time 8, alleged that the company distributed expired goods worth INR 12 lakh.

That these products were not fit for consumption, was not noticed by the volunteers, who gave them out. Further, Patanjali denied any such allegation and said in a statement that the company cannot “always control the logistics of transport and distribution and are not responsible if someone other than our representatives indulges in some wrong doing”. 

Majuli deputy commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha told Hindustan Times that the administration has launched an inquiry regarding the matter. “When we asked the company’s representative in Majuli, they admitted there were some old products with them, but said those were not been distributed among people affected by the floods,” he said.

Meanwhile, S K Tijarawla, a Patanjali spokesperson, said in a statement that the distribution of the products was merely for a “humanitarian cause” and that no expired products had been dispatched. He further clarified the company’s position, saying that it is possible that the distributors may have piled up on old stock.

So Patanjali says it’s not responsible, the volunteers didn’t notice the error, and the distributors just “piled up” on the old stock. But the fact remains at the end of the day the flood-hit folk did received a bunch of expired food. So who’s really responsible here?

Source: Outlook India