By Ajay Jha
Vipul Chaudhary’s career in cooperative politics may come to an abrupt end if the order of the commissioner of cooperation and registrar of cooperative societies, Gujarat dated March 10– is ratified by the Supreme Court, reports the daily Business Standard.
The order issued by the Commissioner Mr M A Narmawala not only removes him from the Chairmanship of Mehsana milk union which his father built with sweat and blood but also debars him from contesting cooperative elections for the next three years.
Indian Cooperative’s efforts to contact either Vipul Chaudhary or his close aide Joseph PurathurKittan who is never tired of boasting about Chaudhary’s “greatness” could not succeed.
According to the report Mr Chaudhary has been facing charges of corruption from union members. The Commissioner Narmawala explained, “Chaudhary had appealed to the Supreme Court while proceedings against him were on here, and had asked for a stay on the proceedings. The SC, however, did not stay the proceedings, but ruled that if the outcome of the proceedings are adverse for Chaudhary, it should be referred to the apex court, and would be effective only after the SC ratifies it”, quotes the daily.
Last year Vipul was removed from the Chairmanship of GCMMF after a protracted legal battle. His recent rise and fall make a perfect bollywood script. Though a confirmed congressman he cultivated BJP at the right time to secure the top post of GCMMF. But he kept his doors open with Congress and hobnobbed with likes of Shankar Singh Waghela and Rahul Gandhi.
With utter disdain for the democratic practices he treated GCMMF and Mehsana milk union as his personal fiefdom and doled out fodder and cattle feed to Maharashtra even when Gujarat itself was caught in drought. And that too with seeking Board’s approval, say his detractors.
These charges became public when a PIL was filed. The Gujarat High Court asked the cooperative department to investigate the matter in November 2013.
