The term of the Governing Council of NCUI which ended March this year, is all set to be extended indefinitely due to a host of factors including Covid 19 which disallows any hearing in the case.
According to a late news item coming to Indian Cooperative desk, the matter further got complicated due to a verbal fight between the advocates of the two sides. The last hearing turned sour with the NCUI Advocate Mr Om Prakash using some un-parliamentary words.
Talking to Indian Cooperative, petitioner Ashok Dabas said that NCUI Advocate said referring to us that we are merely barking dogs with little concrete to say. “He said so as soon as our advocate had finished his argument”, said Dabas.
Reacting strongly to the unpleasant development The Court in its order dated 4.3 2020 observed: “During the course of arguments, the proceedings was marred by use of certain un-parliamentary language during rebuttal arguments and cross-interjections, which was not appreciated.”
It further observed that “The said statement has since been, duly and unequivocally, withdrawn by the Counsel of the Respondent. Both Parties are made to understand that Arbitration, though an alternative dispute resolution process, with a less formal setting than Court, still needs to maintain decorum similar to the Courts of Law.”
“In future the parties are directed to respect the gravity of the process, we have committed ourselves to, and limit their arguments to the subject matter at hand”, said the Sole Arbitrator in its order.
NCUI’s efforts to get the stay vacated on the election of its Governing Council have failed despite about half a dozen hearings conducted so far. The argument on the main issue of reorganization of constituencies, as filed by NLCF and one of its Director Ashok Dabas, is yet to begin, sources add.
It bears recall that the Arbitrator had earleir asked NCUI not to take any decision regarding the election till further orders. The Governing Council meeting of NCUI which was held in Punjab and later through video-conferencing could neither take any decision on the election date nor on selection of an RO. The Ministry has sent a tight list of just two names, from which one’s name is to be approved by the NCUI, sources stated.
The petitioners have alleged that NCUI clubbed some constituencies, which are sure to weaken the representation of weaker sections cooperatives in the apex body of the Indian Cooperative Movement.