In most of the Aavin milk parlours of Coimbatore, one can find eatables being sold, in violation of the terms and conditions of the license. Social activists claim that the Corporation and Aavin authorities are aware of it but choose to turn a blind eye.

There are hundreds of outlets in the city that exclusively sell Aavin products. In addition to these, Aavin also puts up 4 feet by four feet booths to store and sell Aavin milk packets. But, of late, numerous Aavin milk parlours are mushrooming in all the important highways and corporation roads in the city, the government office complexes, near Semmozhi Park in Madukkarai, on the newly-formed footpath adjacent to Government Arts & Science College, and on the Pankaja Mill Road and Palakkad Road which were renovated recently. Social activists charge that such parlour boxes are positioned even on narrow roads causing traffic congestion.

These milk booths sell most of the 1.5 lakh litres of milk packets produced daily at Aavin’s Coimbatore depot. Aavin converts the remaining 40 thousand litres of milk into value added products like curd, buttermilk, butter, ghee, milk khoa, milk peda, and flavoured milk, and sells these products through its retail outlets. Exclusive Aavin outlets were opened all over the city to sell these value-added dairy products in addition to milk.

The parlours have now become the cash-yielding trees for many of the politicians in the city. The parlours have now turned into roadside hotels. For the sake of compliance, they sell some Aavin products, but their main business is selling everything else, including food packets, vadai, bonda, cool drinks, fruits, packed food products, and even cigarettes. What makes it worse is the fact that the food items are prepared in unhygienic condition. Also, these outlets generate a lot of garbage in the form of the discarded plates, glasses, and leftovers.

Will the Corporation and Aavin authorities take action against these violators?