Covid 19 may not have succeeded in disrupting the production pace of co-op bodies, it has certainly affected the schedules of Annual General Meetings and elections in several co-op organizations due these months.
Despite several reminders by the affected multistate co-op bodies, the office of Central Registrar maintains an intriguing silence in the matter.
Indian Cooperative is aware of at least three big co-op bodies which have to go to the polls and which continue to await till the filing of this story, a response and a road map from the Ministry. These are NCUI, Chocolate co-operative CAMPCO and VCB (Visakhapatnam Cooperative Bank).
Besides, hundreds of multi state co-op bodies are awaiting a response from the Ministry on how to conduct AGMs, cut-off date for which is 30 September in normal times. There are several states including Maharashtra which have already extended the date to hold AGM till November 30.
Sources say the Registrar of Companies had been more forthcoming as it allowed the companies to hold virtual AGMs. But laggard in almost everything the Babus of the Agricultural Ministry presiding over the department of multi state co-ops have yet to open their mouths.
The issue acquires urgency for such co-op bodies where elections are due, sources say the Ministry as well as cooperatives are clueless as how to conduct elections on virtual platforms.
Indian Cooperative have gathered that co-ops facing this challenge have written several letters to the Central Registrar who remains unresponsive till date. “NCUI has even sought an appointment with the Central Registrar after writing two letters”, said an official on condition of anonymity.
IFFCO which is usually the first one to hold AGM mostly in the month of May is still clueless as to how far to wait for the Covid scare to subside, sources add. Its board first decided a date of May 29 which has been postponed now to August 26 in the wake of continuing Covid scare. A clarity from the central Registrar would help, an IFFCO official admitted.
Experts, however, argue that holding a virtual AGM is no big deal. If companies like Reliance and Tata can do so why can’t co-operatives-be it IFFCO, Kribhco or Amul or Saraswat Bank. Citing the case of interactive classroom sessions, experts say two-way communication is possible through virtual platforms.
There are several co-operators, however, who would like the cut-off date to be extended. “AGMs are festival times for co-operatives when members meet each other as well as the top cooperative leadership. Denying them this chance which comes once a year would be sad”, they argued. They demanded that the cut-off date be extended to December 31.