Despite an interim order passed by Patna High Court last week throwing the ongoing election of Biscomaun in the realm of suspense, the election currently underway continues to have its share of controversies and charges of unfair means.
The Patna High Court has said nothing on the ongoing election but stayed the new found multi-state cooperative status granted to Biscomaun by the Central Registrar a few months ago.
The fate of the Biscomaun election, till writing this piece remains unaffected, though. Biscomaun has rushed to the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order.
Meanwhile the charges and the counter-charges continue unabated. The outgoing Chairman Sunil Kumar Singh is being accused of manipulating things in the run-up to the election scheduled for April 20. “More than 70 percent cooperators were not informed about the impending elections and a small advt in Prabhat Khabar was inserted in a manner that readers were prone to miss it”, alleged Vinay Shahi in the wake of Indian Cooperative report in which Sunil Singh asked others to learn lessons in fair elections from Biscomaun.
”We did not send letter by ordinary post but by registered post and Prabhat Khabar is a leading daily of Jharkhand. Our advt appeared in Dainik Jagaran-the leading newspaper of Bihar and Prabhat Khabar-the ace paper of Jharkhand , Singh countered.
Does Shahi know anything about the Multi-State Co-operative Act which says that in a situation of the division of states (erstwhile Bihar split into Bihar and Jharkhand) a cooperative that exists in both the states becomes automatically a multi-state entity?
Vinay Shahi who is the Chairman of Bihar State Cooperative Union had said that Sunil curried favour with the Central Registrar and got Biscomaun off the hook of State Election Authority in order to have his way with a pliable Election Officer.
Is R K Singh a retired officer or is he an official with a background in cooperative services? He has been Superintendent of Police of several districts and is a name to reckon with, Sunil shot back.
”Could I change the law passed by Parliament giving the multi state cooperative board the power to appoint the election officer? If Shahi has objection to this, what can I do”, Mr Singh said.
Shahi, however found these arguments untenable. Bihar State has 70 percent share in Biscomaun and Jharkahnd’s share is 19 per cent. The current board has first to seek no-dues certificates from each of the states before declaring itself multi state and holding election under the MSCS Act, he argued.
Biscomaun has hardly any business to do and the current Chairman Sunil has vested interests in renting out and leasing out Biscomaun properties to private parties, Shahi alleged. It has office practically in all the districts measuring 3-4 acre and Delhi guesthouse in Defence Colony, which Sunil is using for his personal gains, he charged.
”I am at least renting out and making profit for the Federation, what he himself does , shot back an angry Singh. The co-operative Union office in Patna opens up to a road that carries dead bodies and his job is to count their numbers from morning to evening,” he added.
”He is a habitual disruptor and party pooper and I have defeated him several times in the past. He is on Vishal Singh’s payroll for disrupting us,” Sunil added.
Vinay Shahi has claimed a locus standi in the case Biscomaun is fighting against the state government over the issues of dues and the High Court has in its 31st March order accepted his claim.
