Panaji, Jan 22 (TNN): The anti corruption branch (ACB) of the directorate of vigilance on Tuesday registered a case against Navjivan dudha utpadak sahakari saunstha maryadit chairman Madhavrao Dessai, and the managing director and other officials of the Goa Milk Producer's Cooperative Union (Goa Dairy) in the alleged 18.60 lakh green fodder scam.

The case has been registered under Sections 120-B and 409 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1899 on a complaint by V B Devida, assistant registrar of cooperative societies, Ponda.

An ACB officer said that the accused had hatched a criminal conspiracy and misappropriated 18.60 lakh sanctioned to Navjivan society of Bolcornem-Sancorda, Dharbandora, to be disbursed to farmers towards increasing green fodder crop cultivation.

Though released for cultivation of green fodder in 55 hectares of land, he said 60% of the amount was released to Madhavrao Dessai and his family members who cultivated just 7 to 8 hectares of land. ACB officer said the amount was released in the name of a society member who had never received the payment.

Rejecting the charge, Goa Dairy chairman Vithoba Dessai told TOI that Navjivan chairman Madhavrao Dessai has several properties and had cultivated the fodder separately in them but the assistant registrar may have failed to inspect all the sites properly.

Present Goa Dairy MD NC Sawant said the society was issued the order to grow the fodder in April-May 2012 when Sadanand Kulkarni was the dairy's MD. Sawant said the fund was allotted for a three-year project and that the project has completed just one-and-a-half years.