A high powered team comprising of President of National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) and Chief Executive met Union Agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday to solicit his help on a host of issues including holding seminar for popularization of Constitution amendment bill that enshrines right to form a cooperative into the list of Fundamental Rights.
Talking to Indian Cooperative NCUI Chief Executive said “We met Sharad Pawarji and sought his gracious presence on the occasion of national seminar for implementation of historic amendments in the states. He was kind enough to accept our invitation”.
The seminar has been scheduled for October 12 in N Delhi and participants from states have been invited.
“We are going to invite State cooperative Ministers, Registrars of cooperatives of states, Chairmen and Managing Directors of cooperative bodies. The idea is to give impetus to necessary changes in State’s laws so that the provisions of cooperative amendment act, 2009 are implemented in the states sooner than later”, said Dr Dinesh.
The Constitution (111th) Bill, 2009 also accorded right to set up a specialised agency on the lines of the Election Commission which can conduct elections of the cooperative societies.
If implemented faithfully the bill would usher in an era of professionalization and democratization thereby strengthening the cooperative movement. But state governments have not shown any interest even after the passage of the historic bill more than six months back.
The important provisions of bill include (1) Right to form cooperatives is a fundamental right(2) Cooperatives could set up agencies which would oversee elections (3) Uniformity in the tenure of Cooperative Board of Directors and (4) provisions for incorporation, regulation and winding up of co-operative societies based on the principles of democratic member-control, member-economic participation and autonomous functioning.
There are many states notable among them being Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra where elections in cooperatives have not been held for years. There are cases as in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha where the new political regimes sack the elected boards to suit their expediency.
Cooperators have been demanding constitution of a task force by NCUI to oversee the adoption of the amendment bill by the states. NCUI is alive to its job now!