The National Federation of Fishermen’s Cooperative Ltd. (FISHCOPFED) has elected Prakash Lonare as its new Chairman and Jayashree Gurnaik as Vice Chairperson, following an election process that had been surrounded by legal and administrative controversy.
The election results announced and yet not announced officially on Thursday, were welcomed by several leaders of the cooperative movement, with congratulatory messages posted on social media soon after the declaration of the results.
However, the polls took place against the backdrop of a series of representations and official communications questioning the legality of the election process and seeking intervention from the Government of India.
The controversy stemmed from an Arbitration Award dated July 9, 2026, passed under Section 84 of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, by Sole Arbitrator Kalyan Sahai Meena, IAS (Retd.). According to the representations submitted to the government, the award reportedly declared the existing Board of FISHCOPFED illegal and void, thereby raising questions over the validity of the federation’s amended bye-laws, membership structure, annual general meetings and the electoral framework that formed the basis of the fresh elections.
Following the award, the Office of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies issued an Office Memorandum on July 22, forwarding the arbitration award to the Cooperative Election Authority.
The memorandum also enclosed representations received from Hari Sahani, Member of the Bihar Legislative Council, and Rishikesh Kashyap, Managing Director of the Bihar State Cooperative Fisheries Federation (COFFED), both of whom sought implementation of the arbitral award and highlighted concerns relating to the proposed FISHCOPFED elections.
The Office Memorandum stated that, since elections to the Board of FISHCOPFED were proposed during the current year, the award and representations were being forwarded for appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of the MSCS Act, 2002, and the rules framed thereunder.
Subsequently, Jayantibhai Kewat, National President of Sahkar Bharti’s Fisheries Cell and claimant in the arbitration proceedings, addressed a representation to Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh on July 26.
In his letter, Kewat urged the minister to immediately halt the election process, remove FISHCOPFED Administrator Shailendra Singh under Section 123 of the MSCS Act and appoint an independent and impartial administrator.
Kewat argued that once the arbitral award had declared the previous board and its consequential decisions invalid, no election could legally be conducted on that foundation. He also alleged that the administrator had continued with the election process despite the award and had retained certain retired officials against whom adverse observations had reportedly been made in the arbitral proceedings.
The representation sought four specific actions: suspension of the ongoing election process, removal of the administrator, appointment of a new independent administrator and conduct of fresh elections only after full implementation of the arbitration award and restoration of the statutory framework.
The matter reached the office of the Union Minister, from where it was forwarded on July 27 to Fisheries Secretary Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi for appropriate action. Thereafter, on July 29, the Department of Fisheries issued an Office Memorandum forwarding Kewat’s representation to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies.
The department requested the Central Registrar to examine the issues raised, particularly the demand for removal of the administrator in light of the arbitral award dated July 9, and to provide necessary directions for further examination of the matter.
Despite these developments and the representations made before various authorities, the FISHCOPFED election proceeded as scheduled, resulting in the election of Prakash Marotrao Lonare as Chairman and Jayashree Gurnaik as Vice Chairperson.
It remains to be seen whether the pending issues relating to the arbitration award and the representations submitted to the Ministry of Fisheries and the Ministry of Cooperation will have any bearing on the newly elected Board or lead to further legal or administrative action.
