IFFCO Board has sprung up on its feet rallying around its Managing Director Mr U S Awasthi on the issue of what they call malicious reporting in a section of media.
The Board meeting took place on July 18 at IFFCO Sadan in N Delhi where board members vowed to fight malicious campaign against the cooperative giant. The board has formed a Committee and authorized it to chalk out future course of action.
Readers may be aware that a detailed report castigating IFFCO MD appeared in India Today by one Mr Sandeep Bamjai working with Headlines Today-the English version of TV Channel Aaj Tak. The report cites cases of Enforcement Directorate and CVC against IFFCO and its M D Mr Awasthi.
Talking to Indiancooperative.com, one of the Directors, on condition of anonymity said this media report was malicious as the cases referred to by it were more than a year old.
Why such reports appear at the time of one of the IFFCO arms coming out with IPO, he asked.
IFFCO sources said the malicious campaign was part of business rivalry as the established players had been unnerved by news of IFFCO jumping on energy band wagon in a big way. Readers could recall in a recently concluded Press Conference in N Delhi, IFFCO MD Mr U S Awasthi announced IFFCO’s arrival on power circuit. He said ICPL, an arm of IFFCO had got clearance from Centre to go ahead with the project.
Talking to Indiancooperative.com Mr Shish Pal, one of the Directors said t it was IFFCO and IFFCO alone which was providing fertilizer without any hanky-panky to farmers across the country. any attempt to drag this great cooperative into controversies was not only born out of malice but also anti-farmer, he added. He vowed to stand by the MD.
Meanwhile, sources said the Board had authorized Chairman Mr N P Patel and Managing Director Mr U S Awasthi to meet the Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh and clarify the matter. Time has been sought and when the Prime Minister calls us we would present our case, said another Director on condition of anonymity
IFFCO is also exploring legal ways to sue the magazine. It is particularly hurt at the portrayal of its former Chairman Surendra Jakhar’ death as a case of homicide as reported in the Magazine. It also questions the rationality of an old enquiry being reported now and informs Indiancooperative.com that the issues raised, were answered by the former Chairman Mr Jakhar in a comprehensive manner.