The action on NAFED seems caught up in red tapism as nobody seems willing to bell the cat. Rajeev Gupta, the Managing Director who took charge in October has to make a move but when-remains a million dollars question.

NAFED was flummoxed when many big wigs were issued the recovery notices. The action could have been initiated right at the time but the management dilly-dallied on the issue. Instead, it wasted time over the process of writing and receiving letters with the office of Central Registrar.

The agricultural Ministry’s point of view was clear. It said it has nothing to do in the matter. It can tell about rules and give the road map but journey per se, has to be undertaken by Nafed itself.

As recently as a couple of days back, the office of Central Registrar has reiterated its earlier stand, Indian Cooperative.com has learnt.

The indecisiveness of NAFED emanates from the fact that the accused have approached the office of Additional Secretary. The date of hearing is February 20. Should Nafed begin the process of recovery even when the matter is pending in the court of Additional Registrar?

The Ministry has given an unequivocal reply to this. It says until there is a stay on the order of Central Registrar from any court, the order stands valid and Nafed is free to act.

But who will act- remains a big question.

Those who have to deposit money are no small fries. Homi Rajvansh, the man accused of departing with a major part of loot is already in jail. Alok Ranjan, the then Managing Director is still a serving IAS officer with the government of Uttar Pradesh.

Meena Singh, the wife of late Chairman of NAFED Ajit Singh is a JDU Member of Parliament.  Vishal Singh, the son of Ajit Singh against whom the recovery order has been issued is on the board of not
less than three cooperative federations including Nafed, NCCF and NCUI. Others in the list are also men of influence.

Efforts to contact the Managing Director of NAFED Mr Rajeev Gupta have failed so far. Will he wait until the matter is disposed by the court of Additional Secretary or would he act right now is not yet clear.

Indiancooperative.com has secured the amount of dues pending against each name in NAFED episode. On Monday we published only the names but now the alleged amounts are also known to this cooperative news portal.

The person who tops the list of dues is Homi Rajvansh who owes Rs 110 crore followed by Meena Singh and Vishal Singh, wife and son of late Ajit Singh respectively. They owe Rs 64.09 crore each.

Third topper is Alok Ranjan, an IAS officer who was MD at that time and owes Rs 19.38 crore.

Majority of people who were in business committee including the present Chairman Bijender Singh owes Rs 16.02 crore.

Sanjay Singh and ML Danga are the lucky ones with dues below Rs 2 cores served against them.

Details of “who owns how much” are given below against each name.

We produce below the names

1. Mrs. Meena Singh—— Rs 64.09 crore
2. Shri Vishal Singh——- Rs 64.09 crore
3. Shri C.B. Holkar——- Rs 16.02 crore
4.  Shri Bijender Singh—- Rs 16.02 crore
5. Shri G. Nagamarpally— Rs 16.02 crore
6. Shri R.S. Joon——- Rs 16.02 crore
7. Shri K. Srinivasa Gowda—- Rs 16.02 crore
8. Shri Mostafa Sardar— Rs 16.02 crore
9. Shri M.L. Danga— Rs 1crore 62 lakh
10. Shri S.B.Asthankar—-Rs one crore sixteen lakh
11. Shri Alok Ranjan— Rs 19.38 crore
12. Shri Homi Rajvansh– Rs 110 crore
13. Shri Sanjay Singh– Rs one crore fifty six lakh

The names of those against whom recovery orders have been served by the court of Central Registrar in NAFED episode are out. There are 25 persons in all, nine of them being high profile cooperative leaders and rest being the officials of NAFED.

It is a strange story of open loot in which cooperators connived with officials to maim a great cooperative institution to virtual death. And the entire cooperative fraternity of the country is looking aghast to a saga which calls for severest criticism. They must dissociate themselves from those who are found guilty in the case, for a movement is run by leaders not by government.

Voices are getting louder that those involved should quit all cooperative boards. They are citing section 43(1) (h) of MSCS Act, 2002. According to this Act no member of any multi state cooperative society or nominee of member society or a national cooperative society shall be eligible for being chosen as, or for being a member of the board of such multi state cooperative society or a national cooperative society or of any other cooperative society to which the multi state cooperative society is affiliated, if such member is a person against whom any amount due under a decree, decision or order is pending recovery under this act.

The top leaders whose name figure in the list are Meena Singh,an MP from Nitish Kumar’s JDU and wife of late Ajit Singh, during whose tenure the loot was perpetrated. Second name is that of Vishal Singh, son of Ajit Singh who presently holds board membership of not one but two multi state cooperatives—NAFED and NCCF. He has also secured a seat in the governing council of apex cooperative organization NCUI by sideling a timid NCCF Chairman Birendra Singh.

C V Holkar is the third name in the list. Holkar was vice chairman at the time tie-up business were being struck. He continues to be on the board of NAFED till date. The fourth name is that of Bijender Singh, the present Chairman. Mr Singh is a high profile cooperator who also happens to be Congress MLA from Nagloi, a West Delhi constituency. He is Chairman of National Federation of State Cooperative Bank (nafscob) as well as Chairman of Delhi State Cooperative Bank.

Two other names in the list about whom Indiancooperative.com is not sure are alleged to be former Ministers of  Karnataka cabinet.

Seventh name in the list is that of Sriniwasa Gowda who is member of board of cooperative giant IFFCO. Recently IFFCO lost an opportunity to represent India at ICA Board due to Gowda being tainted in NAFED affairs. The international forum asked the tainted leader to quit the race causing serious embarrassment to IFFCO in particular and India in general and IFFCO in particular. IFFCO sources confided to Indiancooperative.com that Gowda did not share his secrets with it.

There are many other names of cooperative leaders as well as IAS official such as Alok Ranjan and IRS officer Homi Rajvansh against whom recovery dues have been ordered. There are many nafed officials at the level of branch manager and account officers who are also in net. In the case of officials, law would indeed take its course as Homi Rajvansh was earlier arrested from Agra.

But this is high time cooperators should soul-search and brain-storm on how a credible cooperative movement is possible in the country underlining honesty and selflessness.

Tapeshwar Singh, doyen of cooperative movement was not only active in Bihar but also in India. His birth anniversary was celebrated with enthusiasm and gusto in Buxer.

Many political leaders cutting across party lines participated in the function. BJP senior leader and former President Rajnath Singh paid glowing tributes to Tapeshwer Babu and said that cooperative and agriculture are closely related and are complimentary to each other.

Lambasting imposition of income tax on cooperatives he announced launching of nation wide protest from the Parliament House against this.

But the cooperative Minister Ramadhar Singh was very critical of present leadership of cooperatives in Bihar. He said that those whom Tapeshwer Babu and his family supported in the beginning and gave the mantle of carrying the cooperative movement ahead have all got involved in selfish ends. In not a very indirect manner he warned them of dire consequence very soon as government is keeping close watch on them.

Readers may be aware that BISCOMAUN and other many such cooperatives have illegal boards whose terms have expired but are yet taking decision throwing all democratic norms to  winds.

The meeting was presided by Mrs Indu Singh,wife of late Tapeshwar Babu. Other participants present on the occasion included senior BJP leader Shahnawaj Hussain, CP Thakur, former Minister Janardan Singh Sigriwal, Meena Singh, Member of Parliament and wife of late Ajit Singh, Vishal, son of Ajit Singh, Brij Bhushan Singh, MP, Ranjit Singh .

The function was  organized by Paigamber PACS which is headed by Ranjit Singh, younger son of Tapeshwer Singh. Talking to Indian cooperative.com he said that he is thankful to all the participants who came on this occasion .

Beating many lavish marriages in India, Vishal Singh,son of late Ajit Singh is indeed going to marry in style. Vishal is vice chairman of NCCF and also a board member of NAFED where his father used to be Chairman not long ago.

According to sources Vishal Singh’s mother Meena Singh has approached railway ministry for booking the entire train in which barat could travel unhindered from Patna to Gonda.

Talking to Indian Cooperative.com Vishal Singh vehemently denied the booking of train and said that despite our denial newspapers publish this.

Rail Minister Mamta Banerji is reported to have expressed surprise at this bizarre request. Reserving coaches is normal but booking the entire train is unheard of as it involves saying no to the common passenger. Chartered airplane is alright but chartered train is indeed new.

But railway being a commercial venture, according to experts, booking of entire train is possible if you are ready to shell out hefty sum.

The high profile marriage is scheduled for 31^st January where two heavy weight political families are uniting. Vishal’s mother Meena Singh is JDU MP while bride’s father   Brijbhushan Sharan Singh represents  Kaiserganj on Samajwadi Party ticket.

Vishal’s grandfather Tapeshwar Singh is held as front rung leader who strengthened cooperative movement in Bihar. Ajit Singh, his second son, followed his foot steps and chose cooperative movement as his area of interest.

But unfortunately his name cropped up in tie up business  losses suffered by NAFED during his chairmanship. The scam is huge and some arrests have also been made. His sudden death in a road accident has further complicated the matter as those under scanner of investigation are trying to pass the buck in his name.

The investigation is going on yet with little recovery so far.