The All Odisha Cooperative Leaders’ Association (AOCLA) has written to Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah raising concerns over alleged disregard of cooperative law provisions by the Managing Director of Odisha State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MARKFED).
In a letter, AOCLA Chairman Ranjan Kumar Das alleged that MARKFED MD Santosh Kumar Nayak recently described the General Body Meeting as merely a “festival”, which the association said undermines the spirit of Section 29 of the State Cooperative Act.
According to AOCLA, the General Body Meeting is the highest decision-making authority in cooperative institutions, and reducing it to a ceremonial event raises serious concerns about adherence to cooperative principles.
The association also highlighted that Annual General Meetings have historically been attended by prominent leaders including former Odisha Chief Minister Biren Mitra, former Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout, senior leader Surya Narayan Patro and Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy.
AOCLA has urged the Centre to examine the issue and ensure proper implementation of cooperative laws to safeguard the democratic functioning of cooperatives in Odisha.
