From Gulbarga in Karnataka to Port Blaire in Andaman, field project officers associated with training programs of National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) have been narrating their tales of financial woes.
“You are meeting NCUI President Chandra Palji and also the Chief Executive Dr Dinesh, please tell them about our problems”, said one of the officers to this correspondent on phone.
“Indian Cooperative has been raising the issue of the people at the receiving end, please help us fix our problem”, said another despite our explaining that we are journalists who can only raise issues. We are not activists who would launch campaigns and force the authorities to do something. But their miseries would not let them see the truth.
Also it is a test case of how cooperative as a fraternity behaves in case of crisis to one of its arms. Though cooperative leaders go on bragging the strong cooperative movement in the country they do little to practical problems thereby making a mockery of the so-called spirit of cooperation.
They are only 180 spread across India. They work in projects which NCUI and NCCT are never tired of boasting about. Yet when it comes to their suitable remuneration, NCUI develops cold feet.
At the insistence of Agricultural and Cooperation Ministry a committee was formed to study and suggest ways of raising their salaries. A three member team led by Finance Director, NCUI Mr Satyanarayan visited some of the field projects.
But, according to sources the report is yet to be filed. It is the indifference of authorities that these people are subject to, confided a knowledgeable source to the Indian Cooperative. “The concerned authorities have to tie up the loose ends, present their reports and lobby hard on their behalf with the Ministry, it could be done in no time”, he added.
Earlier, talking to Indian Cooperative Dr Dinesh, Chief Executive of NCUI said “A committee had been set up by the NCUI following the directive of the government of India to evaluate the works of field project staff and recommend a suitable hike in their pay-structure.”
Dr Dinesh added “they have already got a marginal hike around Diwali and the full-fledged restructuring would take place soon.” But that “soon” is yet to come,lamented one of the officers before Indian Cooperative.
The Committee formed to evaluate the pay structure included members from NCUI, NCDC and Agricultural Ministry. They have been evaluating the working and efficacy of field projects for the last five years.
These projects had been started as a special measure for strengthening the cooperative movement in the states without cooperative network and reducing regional imbalance in development. The Government of India had approved a central sector scheme funded by the Ministry of Agriculture way back in 1976.