In a decisive move to strengthen transparency in the dairy cooperative system, the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) has ruled that the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is a state body and must fully comply with the *Right to Information (RTI) Act. The order also extends RTI applicability to all district unions, including Bamul and Komul.
The ruling came while hearing an appeal by RTI applicant V Lokesh, who had sought details of an overseas tour by Komul officials. Information commissioner Rajashekara S referred to a 1993 Karnataka High Court judgment that classified KMF as a ‘state’ under Article 12, making transparency obligations legally binding.
The commission outlined that KMF evolved directly from the government-owned Karnataka Dairy Development Corporation (KDCC), created in 1974 for the Operation Flood programme. When KMF was incorporated in 1983, it inherited government assets, staff, infrastructure, and state-backed finances, demonstrating continued state control.
KIC further observed that KMF’s bylaws enable it to manage government dairy units and perform essential public functions such as procurement, marketing and sector development. The presence of government nominees and price regulation oversight strengthens this status.
Information commissioner Rajashekara S stated that any activity involving public funds or public resources must be open to scrutiny, including foreign tours and financial decisions of all unions. The ruling sets a strong precedent for accountability in Karnataka’s dairy sector and signals tighter governance across cooperative institutions.
