The episode of delinking of NCCT from NCUI is creating serious situations for co-op training across states with state co-op unions of several states staking claim over ICMs in their respective states. The latest is Madhya Pradesh State Co-op Union which has served a notice of rent of Rs 5 cr to the ICM Bhopal.
The notice says that since ICM Bhopal is no longer a part of National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), with which the state co-op union entered into agreement on usage of buildings way back in 96-97, it is incumbent on the ICM to either pay rent or vacate the premises.
It bears recall that in 1991 the state granted a land of 4.5 acre to state co-op union which in turn entered into agreement with NCCT-NCUI. It was proposed that while the land will be from the state co-op union, Centre would invest Rs 10 cr through NCCT-NCUI to build the training institute, hostel etc.
After the buildings were constructed the state co-op union signed another agreement in 96-97 with NCUI (word NCCT was omitted unlike 1991 agreement) and it was proposed that NCUI would use the building for co-op training through the ICM.
Now as the NCCT stands delinked from NCUI, the state co-op union has argued that the agreement stands null and void. “It does not know ICM as it like any other renter for the state union”, is the rough purport of the notice. Interestingly, the hostel which was constructed by the NCUI for its own use, was rented out to Makhanlal Chaturvedi University in 1991.
It is being said that Ritu Raj Ranjan, MD of state co-op union (as the Board was dissolved earlier) is behind all this. He is said to be desperate to please his boss the Principal Secretary. Vishwas Sarang, one of the Directors of NLCF and the incumbent cooperative minister is also said to stoke the fire.
To combat the situation ICM Bhopal has sought legal opinion. It refers to 1976 when the first seed of the co-op institute was cast. It says that the “Original agreement is between state cooperative union and NCCT. Now state cooperative union says that their agreement is with NCUI and now NCCT is not part of NCUI so they issued the letter.
On condition of anonymity some of the faculties of ICM said “On contrary State cooperative union has leased out hostel building which was constructed for ICM. It was leased out to Makhanlal Chaurvedi Univ Of Journalism and earning rental income out of this. On other hand ICM is forced to incur expense on hiring hostel on private basis.”
The ICM people also reminded that the land of 4.8 acre was given for education purposes but the state cooperative union is giving this land for marriage purpose without seeking legal permission from Nagar Nigam. “This is shameful as both the MD and Chairman are govt officers; and are openly flaunting the norms of the state govt”, they stated