In a major victory for the current Managing Director of dairy cooperative giant GCMMF R S Sodhi, the Gujarat High Court Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation challenging his appointment.
The division bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala held that “there is no public interest in the petition”. “The appointment has been challenged after three years, there is no valid ground for the delay,” the bench added.
Bapupura Doodh Utpadak Samiti in the district had challenged Sodhi’s appointment contending that proper process was not followed. In November last year, Moghabhai Desai, a board member of the Amul cooperative board, challenged the appointment on similar ground before the High Court.
Earlier, talking to Indian Cooperative GCMMF sources contradicted the allegations and said that Mr Sodhi was in fact never recruited but promoted keeping in with the practice of the cooperative organization.
Sodhi is the fourth Managing Director of GCMMF and the earlier three which includes Vyas, Buxi and Kurien were all promoted. The practice had been to elevate the senior most General Manager to the post in case of vacancy and the same was followed in the case of R S Sodhi, the sources added.
The second MD of GCMMF Mr Buxi was the General Manager (Marketing) when the Board chose him to head the Organization. Kurien was founder MD. And B M Vyas was the senior most General Manger.
R S Sodhi was promoted by the GCMMF Board after the Vyas-Bhatol controversy shook the giant cooperative by its foundations. Board expressed confidence in Sodhi and gave him the reins of the organization. “Sodhi fulfilled Board’s expectation and in a short period took GCMMF to greater heights acquiring many awards on the way”, one of the Directors told Indian Cooperative.
Interestingly, the Director who has filed petition challenging R S Sodhi’s promotion was present in the Board meeting that cleared Sodhi’s appointment. Now his challenging the decision is at best funny, said the source.