National Consumer Cooperative Federation (NCCF) has once again failed to clear the decks in its Board meeting held on Monday for the appointment of regular Managing Director. Board failed to arrive at consensus on the issue of relaxation of age. The selection panel has been scrapped and the whole process has to begin from zero.
The post is to be re-advertised and the Board would formulate afresh terms and condition of appointment.
The selection committee comprised of four members which included NCCF Chairman Birendra Singh, NAFED Chairman Bijender Singh, Housing Federation Chairman Sukhvir Singh and technical expert Mr Gulati.
Two of the short listed candidates Mr Ashok Chaudhary, an IRTS officer and second one, a DOPTofficial were found to be on the wrong side of age. While former is 57 years old, latter is of 58 years. The age of retirement of NCCF Managing Director is 58 years which means they have to leave govt job where retirement age is 60 years only to retire soon, after a year from NCCF.
It is obvious nobody would agree to this.
The Selection Committee had taken governmental clearance. Government had also allowed it to raise the age of MD’s retirement through Board meeting. Yet the board shrank from taking decision thereby dashing hopes of front runner Ashok Chaudhary’s appointment as MD.
About seven Directors participating in Tuesday Board meeting voiced their concerns and felt uncomfortable with raising the age of MD, which would have precipitated a series of changes in the service rules of NCCF. Some of the Directors also recounted the bad experience of NCUI which got embroiled into controversy in the wake of appointment of lecturers.
Talking to Indian Cooperative Vishal Singh, one of the Directors said ” There were some technical issues, there were also issues related to age. Times have changed. People have become aware. One has to be careful or else one courts trouble”.
When Indian Cooperative contacted Virendra Singh, Chairman of NCCF to know his reaction on the issue , he refused to touch the subject and instead dwelt on the profit of Rs 3 crore that NCCF has earned.
Detractors of Virendra Singh say that the front runner for the post Ashok Chaudhary was Chairman’s candidate. Mr Ashok Choudhary, a Cadre Officer (IRTS) was Managing Director of Central Railside Warehousing Company Ltd, (CRWCL) a Subsidiary of CWC where Virendra Singh is Director for last 14 years.
Indian Cooperative has gathered that efforts to stall Chaudhary’s appointment were underway for quite some time.
Those who support Virendra Singh argue that if the American President has the right to choose even a non-political person as his minister just to have an effective team, Chairman should be given a chance to have an MD of his choice. You have to measure him by his performance not by petty considerations.
Reliable sources told Indian Cooperative that more than the cooperative leaders, it is some officials who are employing delaying tactics in the appointment. They are benefitting from an absentee Managing Director who appears one in a while but who, however enjoys all the perks that go with the post.
NCCF and its Chairman have in past declared a bigger role for the agri cooperative. It indeed emerged as front runner in the wake of receding importance of NAFED. But it is without a regular MD for more than a couple of years. Re-advertisement means an endless procedure. Vested interest, meanwhile, would make most of it.
