Dr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, President of the apex co-op body in the country NCUI claimed to have a fruitful meeting with the Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister on Thursday and in which he raised issues dogging the co-operative movement in the country. Yadav was accompanied by his Chief Executive N Satyanarayana.
Expressing satisfaction with the meeting Chandra Pal said to Indian Cooperative” important issues concerning the cooperative movement were discussed in a relaxed atmosphere and the minister heard us out on all issues and promised to correct the course.”
It bears recall that in the wake of the NCUI-NCCT stand-off, the ministry did not release fund to the NCUI last financial year leading to great hardships. “We tried to bring out how people working with our field-projects have not even got salaries due to the fund crunch”, said Chandra Pal.
On the NCUI-NCCT issue, the minister is believed to be in favour of a negotiated settlement so that the matter does not remain pending in court. People in the know of things say that the matter can be resolved if the NCUI leadership allows greater power to the Ministry in certain matters such as appointment of a CE of its choice or having more govt nominees in the Governing Council of the apex body.
The contours of negotiation are not yet defined but the bottom line is that the Ministry wants greater control of NCUI. “What way will it shape up is still in the womb of time”, said sources.
The other issues the duo of NCUI President and Chief Executive raised included participation of Prime Minister in the proposed Cooperative Congress held every four year by NCUI. “We want the Prime Minister to inaugurate it and requested the Minister to help us get a date from the Prime Minister” said the Chief Executive after the meeting.
The 16th Indian Cooperative Congress held in 2013 in Delhi was inaugurated by Pranab Mukherjee, the then President of India. The Congress was attended by more than hundreds of delegates from across the country and abroad.
The NCUI President also discussed the fate of the 97th Constitutional Amendment which has been languishing in court for many years with the Minister. Touted as a landmark development, the amendment is yet to see the light of day due to court cases. “We have not seen enough push from the Ministry in the matter and we tried to convince the Minister on the need of expediting it”, said Chandra Pal.
The ambitious 97th Constitutional Amendment Act has power of making cooperative a transparent enterprise. The Act would also free co-operatives from charges–malicious or genuine leveled against them from time to time. Besides establishing formation of co-op, a fundamental right, the 97th CAA stipulates uniform co-op acts across the country.