Vadodara District Milk Producers Cooperative Union had recently filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court urging the court to direct the Anand Collector to hold an immediate election for the post of chairman of GCMMF.

The court has asked the Collector to announce the elections and complete the poll process within two weeks.

It is noteworthy that the tenure of the GCMMF chairman had come to an end already in June but the Anand Collector had been delaying the announcement of elections. The delay had caused all manners of speculation fraying nerves in the cooperative circles in Gujarat.

Parthi Bhatol, the current Chairman had a tumultuous tenure. Ram Sinh Parmar joined by Vipul Chaudhary had kept him on tenterhooks for the major part of his tenure. It is only for the last couple of years that he had smooth sailing.

Whether Bhatol would fight or not is not clear as he is keeping his cards close to his chest. He does not want to appear as a greedy cooperator hankering after positions. Especially before the chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Narendra Modi favoured him last time as he was looked upon as a simple man. But things have changed since. His opponents have leveled various acts of omission and commission against him in Banas dairy which has hogged the headlines in local dailies.

Bhatol had contested corruption charges in the pages of Indian Cooperative and had cited the fast growth rate of Banas as proof of his competence. But ghost of Banas dairy is sure to haunt him either in his selection as the future candidate of GCMMF or in the final election if he is chosen as a candidate by the BJP.

Vipul Chaudhary ,Chairman of Dudhsagar is another potent candidate. He also belongs to BJP and has strong lineage.
Which way the party High Command thinks is a matter of speculation for all. The Court’s judgment in this background is sure to lead to intense politicking.

Campaign would pick up momentum once the date of the election is announced. GCMMF has 16 voters, 15 of them belong to the dairy cooperatives and one vote belongs to the Registrar of the Gujarat cooperatives. In the last election there were 13 votes but two more cooperative federations have joined since adding to the votes.

Those contesting the election for the Chairmanship of GCMMF would have to keep an eye on four members as they are treated as floating votes. They could switch sides easily. This includes Manu Patel of Surat Dairy, Jetha Patel of Sabarkatha dairy, Shankar Singh Rana of Gandhi Nagar dairy and Baba Parmar of Surendra Nagar dairy.

Corruption in cooperatives have become order of day.Leave aside the small cooperatives, even giants are falling prey to greed and stealing. The reputation of some of the top cooperative brands till yesterday lie in tatters today ,thanks to hanky-panky of a  few. NAFED, NCCF-the list is ever growing with CBI and CVO slueths knocking at their door.

Anna Hazare has ,meanwhile galvanized whole of India and Cooperative Sector can not remain untouched. Leading Cooperative leaders of the land have supported Anna in unison in the country and vowed to free the system of corruption.

Talking to Indiancooperative .com, President of NCUI Chandra Pal Singh Yadav said that public anger against corruption in their day to day existence has crossed all limits and we support Anna for bringing in strong Lok Pal bill.

But should not there be a strong Lok Pal for Cooperative sector also? Mr Yadav responded by saying that cooperative sector is a field where people are active with a mission of service to people. It is not a place to earn profit. We, however have Multi State Cooperative Act under which severe punishment is meted out to them who indulge in wrong-doing.

NCUI President Mr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, however said that cooperative institutions should have their own code of conduct which must be adhered to so that corrupt practices are kept at bay.

The Chairman of GCCMF which markets brand Amul also lent his support to Anna Hazare and said that progress of Amul is testimony of the fact that we have kept wrong doing at bay all these years.

Anna is doing great service to the nation and we extend all possible support to him, added  Bhatol.

Support for Anna is pouring from various quarters of cooperative world as people feel that a strong Lok Pal is the demand of the time. It is true also as wrong doing in cooperatives have created a trust deficit in the minds of people and many say “let us cleanse our cooperatives in this Anna wave.”

Indiancooperative.com invites readers to lend their support by writing in comment box.

World’s biggest dairy cooperative Fonterra of New Zealand has opted for a new CEO from this September. The shifting of power has been a smooth process with little noise coming from any quarters.

Compare this with Indian situation and you get shock of your life. Our dairy major Amul wanted to change its CEO Mr B M Vyas and the entire board of GCMMF was split amidst varying loyalties.

The situation became so tough that at one point it looked as if the Chairman of GCMMF Mr Parthi Bhatol himself may have to go.

Readers may be aware that Fonterra is also a cooperative with an impact unparalleled by any organization in its field of operation. News from New Zealand says Theo Spierings will head Fonterra in September when Andrew Ferrier steps down.

Unlike R S Sodhi who could finally took over as the new Managing Director in Amul case, Fonterra Cooperative Group’s new chief executive Theo Spierings has been welcomed by the NZ Cooperatives Association.

It is not that there is no tension in Fonterra cooperative as the association’s Chris Knowles said. “I am very happy the appointment is a long-term cooperator who will clearly understand the tensions of farmer ownership and member funding.”

Former CEO Canadian Andrew Ferrier will leave on a high note with record results for the 2011 year.

“Mr Spierings has a wealth of experience in managing dairy businesses across Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Europe,” van der Heyden said in a statement. He also had experience in a variety of general management, operations and supply chain and sales and marketing positions across a number of geographies, van der Heyden said.

Spierings, 46, is married with three children and currently lives in the Netherlands, where he owns an advisory firm focusing on corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions in the consumer goods sector, the statement says. His qualifications include an MBA.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the  third milk processing plant of Banas District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd, popularly known as Banas Dairy on Tuesday and thus announced the arrival of largest dairy in India.

It is the largest dairy in cooperative sector as it has  manufacturing capacity of 8 lakh litres per day liquid milk processing, 40 metric ton per day (MTPD) butter and 50 lakh kg per day ice cream. Parthi bhai Bhatol, chairman of GCMMF said that it is the result of hard work put in by cooperative members.

Banas Dairy’s  turnover has gone up to over Rs 2,200 crore from Rs 400 crore in 2003,” the chief minster said. The plant has been built by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore.

The new plant is being designed to manufacture dairy whitener and shall operate continuously and will cost around Rs 150 lakh,” said dairy’s managing director Sangramsinh Chaudhary.

No body thought Bhatol would be so lucky! Not, perhaps Bhatol  himself. The 21^st August meeting which was called by 10 members of GCMMF to discuss no confidence motion against Bhatol fizzled out. And it fizzled out so badly for dissident leader Mr Vipul Chaudhry that he hurried to leave the scene quickly.

No sooner did the board meet at the appointed time, Vipul Chaudhary objected to Bhatol chairing the meeting as he has lost the confidence of the board. An angry Bhatol retorted him and a free for all ensued.

Intervening in the melee Panchmahal-based Panchamrut Dairy chairman and BJP MLA Jetha Bharwad said that he was with Bhatol. And soon other Directors also joined him professing his support to the incumbent Chairman Parthi Bhai Bhatol.

How it happened . No body knows. May be Gandhinagar has a role to play. Or may be Bhatol’s clean image led to a change of heart in dissidents. With this the third attempt by Mehsana dairy chief Vipul Chaudhary to win the post of Chairman of GCMMF failed.

Chaudhary is eyeing chairmanship of country’s largest dairy co-operative since the time Dr Kurien stepped down from the post.

Ramsinh Parmar, the trusted friend of Vipul told media that the no confidence motion was shelved keeping the interest of farmers in mind.

After the successful meeting of 18th August, will GCMMF Chairman be lucky enough to pull it off this time. Board members numbering 13 are assembling today to discuss the no-confidence motion against the chairman Parthi Bhai Bhatol. Talking to Indian cooperative.com Mr Bhatol sounded confident of members support.

There are about 13 district unions in the GCMMF, the cooperative which owns famous Amul brand. Ten of the 13 directors have  been trying for last six months to oust Bhatol.But Bhatol has succeeded so far.

All eyes rest on four directors namely Manu Bhai Patel of Surat dairy, Jetha Bhai Patel of Sabarkatha dairy, Shanker Singh Rana of Gandhi Nagar dairy and Baba Bhai Parwar of Surender Nagar dairy sided with Bhatol. Earlier, Bhatol was able to win them to his side.

Former Minister Vipul Chaudhry along with Ramsinh Parmer is leading the camp of dissident. In the GCMMF’s annual general meeting (AGM) on August 12 majority of GCMMF’s 13member board prevented the federation to hold any meeting. On Thursday, Mr Bhatol was further pushed towards the edge as 11 out of 13 board members abstained the AGM. In its over three-and-half decade long history, GCMMF was compelled to cancel its board meets thrice in last three months.

A requisitioned meeting has been called on August 21 to discuss the no-confidence motion against Bhatol. And the D day has finally arrived.

The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation  (GCMMF) had its meeting finally without much trouble on August 18. It was a non quorum meeting in which 11 out of 13 board members did participate.

Only directors from Rajkot and Surat milk federations did not come owing to medical engagement. The meeting was conducted in the presence of State Registrar.

Talking to Indiancooperative.com GCMMF Chairman Parthi Bhai Bhatol said that Amul has posted a growth of 19.3 per cent to clock a turnover of Rs 8,005 crore in 2009-2010.The leading milk producer’s financial results were approved during the 36th annual general meeting here.

Turnover rose from Rs 6,711 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 8,005 crore in 2009-2010, showing a growth of 19.30 per cent. “This is an extremely impressive growth when viewed from the perspective of drought impact and resultant drop in milk procurement as well as 27.7 per cent growth that we achieved in 2008-09,” Mr Bhatol said while commenting on the results.

The federation has achieved a sales growth of more than 21 per cent in pouch milk category and 32 per cent in value terms, Bhatol said. Our `Masti’ curd sales grew at an impressive 46 per cent, while ice-cream sales registered a value growth of 22 per cent, he said.

The federation has close to 5,000 Amul Preferred Outlets across the country, and nearly 2,000 more were added in the financial year under review, Bhatol said.

On exports, he said “even this year we crossed the Rs 100-crore foreign exchange earning mark. This was the fifty consecutive time we crossed the mark.

Speaking about federation’s expansion plans, Bhatol said, “we have prepared a perspective plan till 2020 for our member-unions envisaging a capital investment of Rs 2,600 crore and a projected turnover of Rs 27,000 crore.” GCMMF is the largest food products marketing organization of India. It is the apex organisation of the dairy cooperatives of Gujarat.

Power tussle can mar the future of not only countries but even of cooperatives. Amul is going Pakistan way with the democratically elected Chairman being subjected to constant push and pull.

There are about 13 district unions in the GCMMF, the cooperative which owns famous Amul brand. Ten of the 13 directors have a tendency to constant switching of loyalties leading to a feature of constant flux at Amul. Four years back they did not spare Vergese Kurien, the legend and voted him out. Today they look set to show the Present Chairman of GCMMF Mr Parthi Bhai Bhatol the door. Will they tomorrow not vote against the one  who emerges the leader today?

The power tussle saw the exit of B M Vyas in May. The fight intensified so much that exit of Chairman Bhatol seemed imminent. Board meetings were postponed again and again. But suddenly on June 30 the four directors Manu Bhai Patel of Surat dairy, Jetha Bhai Patel of Sabarkatha dairy, Shanker Singh Rana of Gandhi Nagar dairy and Baba Bhai Parwar of Surender Nagar dairy sided with Bhatol.

But the peace did not last for long. The Opposite camp of Bhatol began to work on the Directors and now on August 7 they could launch their first offensive.  A committee has been formed to hunt for a managing director. Even as it was expected that the federation’s board will elevate federation’s acting managing director R S Sodhi as permanent managing director during the regular board meeting on Friday, the board members decided to form a seven member committee for the purpose.

The five directors who will be on this committee include Amul Dairy’s chairman Ramsinh Parmar, Sabar Dairy’s chairman Jetha Patel, Valsad Dairy’s chairman Mogha Desai, Gandhinagar Dairy’s chairman Shankersinh Rana apart from Bhatol himself.

It was the first major setback for Bhatol.But more was to come. In the GCMMF’s annual general meeting (AGM)  on August 12 majority of GCMMF’s 11-member board prevented the federation to hold any meeting. On Thursday, Mr Bhatol was further pushed towards the edge as 11 out of 13 board members abstained the AGM. In its over three-and-half decade long history, GCMMF was compelled to cancel its board meets thrice in last three months.

A requisitioned meeting has been called on August 21 to discuss the no-confidence motion against Bhatol. All the board members were present in the GCMMF campus on Thursday (August 12) but 10 members did not go to Chairman’s office .

After skipping board meets twice since November 2009, GCMMF board met on July 27 and August 7 to approve its long pending audited accounts and discuss the appointment of MD respectively.

What the movers and shakers of GCMMF do not seem to realize is that they are not only lowering the brand value of Amul but also playing with the future of 30 lakh farmers of 14,000 villages of Gujarat.

 The upheavals at Anand was taking its toll  on the helpless farmers who are only an insignificant players watching the drama from sidelines. The acting MD of GCMMF have on Monday met with the MDs of all the 13 Unions and have sorted a way out of this problem.

 ”We have decided that the bonus will be released to all milk unions. The unions will provide us written request to get this amount. Managing directors of all dairies, who met federation’s in charge managing director R S Sodhi for operational meeting, are finding out modality to do so at the earliest,” GCMMF chairman Parthi Bhatol told. He further added that while the bonus will be released as advance for the time being, the actual amount will be settled once the audited annual accounts of financial year 2009-10 are cleared by the federation’s board. “We can’t withhold this bonus which belongs to farmers of Gujarat,” he said.

  The federation has called a requisite meeting on June 30.

 Two earlier board meetings were adjourned as majority of dairy chairmen had abstained from the meeting Also at the meeting, the managing directors discussed a probable price rise of milk in key markets like Delhi.