A hornets’ nest is being stirred in the matter of member societies having not achieved the business targets specified in the NCCF by-laws in order to contest election for the Board. A list acquired by Indian cooperative from NCCF sources finds many prospective candidates defaulting on the issue.
According to a report some of the likely contestants are Virendra Singh, former Chairman of NCCF, Bijendra Singh , vice-chairman of NAFED, Yashpal Singh Yadav, son of NCUI President Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, Vishal Singh, former vice chairman of NCCF and Abhay Singh, son of Varanasi based cooperator Ambika Singh who has grown too old to fight election.
NCCF office sources say that while the societies of Virendra Singh, Bijender Singh and Yashpal Singh have achieved the business targets, same is not true in cases of Vishal Singh and Abhay Singh. While out of the two societies that Vishal represents, one named Sandeep Sahupbhokta Bhandar , allegedly stands superceded, the other Udyant nagar has done business last year but after the financial year ended.
A confident Vishal Singh told Indian Cooperative” let the election officer decide. There is no condition of financial year in the bye laws and nobody is superior to bye-laws.”
Refusing to give details of the business his society has done Vishal said” let me file nomination on Wednesday first, everything would be clear after that. It is a free country and everyone is free to speak the way one wishes; I have no qualms”.
Some other member societies who fail to meet the “have done business” criteria accuse NCCF of not giving any business in the entire year. Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Singh who is a delegate but cannot fight election said “ I am not interested as my hands are full with the pressing engagements of Biscomaun but what surprises me is the fact that if you do not involve members in business activities how would they meet the target.”
Talking to Indian Cooperative former NCCF Chairman Virendra Singh said there are two ways of doing business for NCCF; whenever we have government contract such as distributing wheat we involve member cooperative societies but when we go for open tendering we have listed a number of private companies who have the wherewithal to meet the requirement.
Besides, we have to give a commission of 3-4 Rs to member co-operatives while we only give Rs one to the private bodies, thereby making it necessary to stick to latter in some cases, Singh clarified.
