Even as the counting progressed and the emergence of Narendra Modi as the next Prime Minister firmed up on Friday, bureaucrats of the Consumer Ministry were giving final touches to the idea of superseding the NCCF Board.
As if smelling the dwindling clout of Sharad Pawar in the wake of the yet-to-come election results the self-important officials lost no time and dismantled the elected Board of the apex body of consumer federation, the NCCF with absolute disdain for cooperatives and cooperators.
A new Administrator M K Parida was appointed who lost no time and rushed to take charge of the apex consumer cooperative. Parida who stood at the centre of controversy as MD before S K Nag’s appointment, reportedly took the decision of promoting his favourites whom the erstwhile Board had refused a promotion. He is also said to have released the DA of employees thereby earning their goodwill in one sweep.
Talking to Indian Cooperative a disappointed NCCF Chairman Virendra Singh said the board has 
been superseded on flimsy grounds and would not stand the scrutiny in the Supreme Court. But he called upon the cooperative leaders to come forward to rally behind the cooperative cause. “What happens to me today can happen to them in future”, Mr Singh warned.
When Indian Cooperative asked NCUI Vice-Chairman G H Amin on the issue, he said ”superseding elected Board is not the correct way. If the govt thinks some wrong has been done it may set up enquiry or may even met out punishment to the guilty but this practice of supersession is condemnable.”
“The speed with which the whole drama unfolded was remarkable. There was a clear attempt by the Babus to “do it” before the new government takes over”, commented one of the observers.
Indian Cooperative has learnt that the Ministry bureaucrats have taken it personally as in the last Board meeting some of the Board members hooted out the Managing Director S K Nag and perhaps also used swear words. Nag is said to have left the Board meeting midway.
Later, hearing a petition filed by Jeet Ram Gupta in the Delhi High Court, the Court has quashed the order appointing the Managing Director S K Nag as MD of NCCF. The learned Judges ruled “It needs no further argument to reach the conclusion that the Office Order dated December 23, 2013 is without jurisdiction. We quash the same.”
The order further says “If the Central Government is of the opinion that an Administrator of the Society needs to be appointed it would be free to exercise that power but in the manner as prescribed by law.”
Taking cue, the Ministry deemed it fit to supersede the Board even while the whole of India was watching election results with bated breath.
This is the 2nd time, the Board of NCCF has been superseded in the history of its existence in the past 49 years, once in the late 80s when NCCF had met with financial crisis and now on account of mismanagement filled with egoism of the Chairman who dragged its own Ministry before the Court of Law.
It remains to be seen when the NCCF will be rejuvenated and its lost glory is restored.
Cooperatives need no beaurocrats but democratically elected Leaders like Dr.Singh!! I think no person should be better than Dr.Singh to manage NCCF!
government ka gundagiri cooperative par chalne ka purana dastur hai,isliye don’t worry my dear brother,court jindabad.
government ka cooperative institution par gundagiri chalane ka purana dastur hai,isliye don’t worry my dear brother,court justice karega.
The sequence of events so far would establish that the Govt. wanted to take action against
Virendra Singh chairman of erstwhile board of NCCF on allegation of irregularites and corrupt practices and restrain him from interfering in day-to-day activities in NCCF.
However,it seems some board members in NCCF joined him and started a fight agst. the Govt.
action.It is generally believed that Virendra Singh was instrumental both in appointment
and then removal of M K Parida from the post of MD NCCF and S K Nag was also appointed
by the Government at the initiative of Virendra Singh.
There are serious objections of irregularities in the audit report of NCCF. In the absence of a regular MD, Virendra Singh had been practically running the show over the years.The present Government initiative might help to clean up the mess in NCCF and restore the management to the co-operators representing the state federations and national apex bodies as soon as possible, to take the Indian Consumer Co-operative Movement forward.
Yes, I fully agree with Adhikari Saheb. Sri Virendar singh wants to run the NCCF like his own smuggled shop. I request the Govt. to please initiate a enquiry against Sri virendar singh. after enquiry it will be clear that how much he earn from NCCF during his chairmanship through Branch Managers, suppliers, Coal Agent etc. Previously he was also booked against cheating/fraud by custom authority Mumbai.
i am an ex employee of nccf.this board headed by virender singh has looted nccf for years..we are happy that government has superceeded and removed this corrupt CBI-booked chairman who was jailed earlier.The new administrator an upright IAS officer has released DA pending for months,given promotions which chairman was not allowing without getting a bribe first and now the administrator has advanced retirement age to 60 years which workers union has been demanding for years.With departure of birender singh NCCF has escaped sure death.i thank the government for the step which was long overdue.
sawakhande, mumbai