Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Minister Govind Singh made the announcement that 4,500 cooperative societies in the state would soon go to the polls. The initial election process is already underway. Administrators from cooperatives are also being stripped up off their responsibility, said the minister.
It is being said farmers who have deposited their money in cooperatives will also figure in the voters’ list. The elections were due long ago but due to financial difficulties the elections couldn’t not be held on time.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Election Authority has directed cooperatives to prepare their voter lists. The elections are likely to be completed by September, informed the minister.
Govind Singh said the lists of voters will be prepared in a month. The lists will be published after objections have been met. Following this, the elections of Chairman and board members of cooperative banks and apex banks will be held.
After the Kamal Nath Government took over in the state, the lists of cooperative voters have been changed with even defaulting farmers with a loan of Rs 2 Lakh added to the lists, accuses Opposition.
There are around 88 cooperative societies in Madhya Pradesh. For organizing fair and free elections around 500 employees and police personnel’s will be deployed. The Election Authority will also give training to these people.
As per the statistics compiled by NCUI on cooperatives, MP has about 47,415 cooperatives active across different fields including Marketing, Dairy, Consumer, Housing, Labour and many others.
8,336 cooperatives are in credit business whereas 39,079 cooperatives are active in noncredit fields such as labour, sugar, housing, dairy and others.
It may not be out of place to mention here that recently elected Director to IFFCO Board Amit Pratap Singh is the son of the Madhya Pradesh Cooperation Minister Govind Singh.