Calling it a “direct attack on democratic values,” Konduri Ravindar Rao, outgoing chairman of National Federation of State Cooperative Banks and a senior cooperative leader, strongly criticised the Congress-led Telangana government’s move to replace elected cooperative bodies with a nominated system.
Addressing the media at the Somajiguda Press Club, he said the dissolution of managing committees through a gazette notification ignores the mandate of lakhs of farmer-members.
He pointed out that the Telangana High Court has already ruled in favour of continuing the previous governing bodies, but the order remains unimplemented even after four months.
“This delay is unacceptable and raises serious questions about the government’s intent,” he said.
Highlighting the scale of the sector, Rao noted that cooperatives involve nearly 30 lakh members and handle business worth around Rs 60,000 crore. He asserted that if irregularities exist, action should be taken only against those specific societies, not the entire system.
Demanding immediate elections, he warned that weakening cooperatives would directly hurt farmers, especially during procurement. He urged the Indian National Congress government to uphold autonomy, transparency, and democratic principles.
