Eye brows have been raised on the issue of the re-employment of H K Gulati as the officer on special duty in the ailing cooperative federation NAFED. Gulati has made himself indispensible for whoever occupies the seat of chairmanship of Nafed.
An old hand who has seen the ups and downs of Nafed for close to three decades, Gulati served Ajit Singh when the tie-up losses caused the agri-cooperative to go belly up. On his retirement as secretary to the Chairman, he was re-employed with a dedicated staff car making cooperators wonder if the beleaguered cooperative could afford it.
Batting for Gulati, Vishal Singh, one of the directors at Nafed said it is a matter of utter disbelief that anyone should object to his re-employment. “I have seen him since Sarin Saheb’s time and he is indispensible more so when Nafed is negotiating ways of coming out of the woods” Vishal said to Indian Cooperative.
Going a step further Vishal said you could quote me and I will not complain.” Gulatiji does not need Nafed as much as Nafed needs him”, he said.
But many cooperators do not hold similar views on Gulati. “He is the most arrogant man to have ever happened to Cooperatives. His body language and his sense of self-importance are abominable”, said Ranjit Singh, Vishal’s uncle and younger sibling of late Ajit Singh.
Observors, however bear Gulati a grudging admiration for his ability to acquire the position of Man Friday of anybody who comes to head the organization. The current chairman Bijender Singh, can not help seeking his advice on any matters small or big. Singh saw to it that the man retained his position.
But perhaps the timing was not appropriate as spies are active reporting every petty detail to the office of Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh who is reportedly not very fond of the Nafed leadership.
