Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shiv Raj Singh has opened a Pandora box where opinions vary diametrically and draggers may be drawn. He has made a move to de-politicize co-operatives. The amendment bill is likely to be introduced in the state assembly beginning 8th December.
Office bearers of cooperative institutions shall have to resign their positions if they want to get elected to parliament or state legislatures. Changes are being made in the M.P. cooperative Act towards this end.
At present, there is a ban provided for in the cooperative Act on people’s representatives continuing as office bearers in cooperative bodies but if any office bearer does get elected a Member of Parliament or state legislature he does not have to resign.
There are several cooperators which have expressed themselves in cooperative seminars in the past that once elected to legislature, cooperators should relinquish their positions in the cooperative bodies. There had been scores of cooperators who dabble both in parliamentary and cooperative politics. There are some whose political fortune is made through cooperatives only. Sharad Pawar is a case in point.
H K Patil, the Urban Bank cooperator is another example. Amit Shah, the high-profile BJP President was the Chairman of one of the UCBs in Gujarat till recently and the latest to join the bandwagon is NCUI President Chandra Pal Singh Yadav who has been elected to Rajya Sabha recently. Former Nafed Chairman Bijender Singh was also a Congress MLA till recently. The list goes on.
There is, however, also a school of thought which believes that if cooperators are sent to legislature it augurs well for the cooperative sector. They argue that being in know of the cooperative issues they voice its concern effectively at a place where it matters the most. This was most evident at the time of election of NCUI President when leaders after leaders exhorted him to put the cooperative point of view more effectively in the Parliament.
In Maharastra an opposite step was taken By another Chauhan, when the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act 1960 was amended pursuant to a call of 97th Constitutional Amendment which intended depoliticalisation and debureaucratsation of cooperatives. The ban on Ministers of the State Cabinet as also Union Cabinet was lifted which enabled them to join the Cooperatives. The another thing which helped Ministers was to extend the expiredTenure of Committees for an indefinite period by evading appoitment of a State Cooperative Election Commissioner.I dont buy an argument thatooperator for years and now a politic a cooperator in Parliament ot in State Assembly is an Asset for Cooperatives. All are Not Chander Pals. He is first a Cooperator and yhen a politician. Its different from a Politician joining cooperative board. There is difference in Two Chauhans.