The Annual General Meeting of National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) was held on Wednesday at its headquarters in New Delhi with delegates from across the states participating in the function.
Besides passing the routine agenda, the AGM pushed NCUI President Chandra Pal Singh Yadav in the battle gear by demanding that NCUI should not agree to Ministry’s diktat of curtailing the financial and executive powers of the President.
The mood in General Assembly was rebellious with members after members exhorting the Governing Council members not to bow before the government. Though the issue was not on the formal agenda of discussion, the matter was taken up and passed with overwhelming support.
Readers could recall that Ministry had put condition before NCUI before releasing fund this year that the latter would introduce suitable amendments in its bye-laws curtailing President’s power.
A cornered President, after several meetings with Ministry’s officials including agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar , had agreed to government’s condition. But AGM decision on Wednesday has shoved Chandra Pal in a precarious position.
It is more so as the NCUI President has already made written commitment promising to reduce his powers.
Besides, the delegates raised many other issues of the day in the AGM. Surekha Khot emphasized on the need of having woman on the board of NCUI and said intention to allow participation of women is more important that legislative provision of reservation for them.
In his presidential speech Chandra Pal Singh Yadav enumerated the works done by NCUI. Recounting the critical phase through which our economy is passing he stressed on the adoption of cooperative model to wriggle out of this situation.
In the backdrop of paucity of land cooperative farming is the only solution for increasing our productivity, said NCUI President. For inclusive growth and projects like Bharat Nirman, NCUI could be a bull-work for the government, he added.
Hailing 97th Constitutional amendment he exhorted members to come up with suggestion on Multi State Co-op Societies Amendment bill pending before Standing Committee. He requested members to answer the questionnaire sent by NCUI seeking suggestion for broadening NCUI’s activities.
G H Amin the Vice President of NCUI proposed vote of thanks. But before that he asked the assembly on their reaction on July 22 Circular of Nabard aimed at destroying PACS. We took more than 100 years in raising them but Nabard aimed at destroying them at one go, Amin added.
Assembled delegates vowed to oppose the Circular in their respective areas.
