The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has sought urgent intervention by the state government in the deteriorating situation at Shri Ganesh Khand Udyog Sahakari Mandali Ltd., Vatariya, citing administrative failure and prolonged violation of cooperative norms.
In a letter, GPCC General Secretary and former chairman of the Mandali, Sandeep Mangrola, addressed the Minister for Agriculture and Cooperation, expressing serious concern over the functioning of the Custodian Committee appointed in 2022. He stated that since the appointment of an Administrator and a nine-member Custodian Committee, the condition of the Vatariya sugar cooperative has worsened steadily.
Mangrola pointed out that the Mandali’s crushing capacity and sugar recovery rates have declined sharply over the years, leading to severe financial stress and growing dissatisfaction among farmer-members. Many farmers, he noted, are gradually losing confidence in the cooperative.
The letter highlights that several members of the Custodian Committee have resigned, while serious allegations have surfaced against others. With lack of quorum and poor attendance at meetings, the committee has become virtually non-functional. Mangrola also underlined that continuation of an Administrator or Custodian Committee for nearly five years violates the Gujarat Co-operative Societies Act, 1961, which allows such arrangements only as a temporary measure.
The GPCC has demanded immediate corrective steps, a transparent administrative setup, and early conduct of elections to restore cooperative democracy and protect farmers’ interests.
