The apex body of cooperatives in the country NCUI has so far failed in its attempt to have a Returning Officer for the elections of its Governing Council due this year.
Despite the majority of Governing Council members wanting to postpone the election due to the Covid scare, NCUI decided upon the date of September 24 and sought permission of the Agriculture Ministry to go ahead with the process.
Following the latest Circular of Central Registrar on appointing Returning Officer, NCUI went with the request letters to both the office of Delhi Registrar of Co-operatives as well as the District Magistrate of South Delhi, in whose jurisdiction NCUI falls.
While the RoC of Delhi flatly refused to depute any officer due to their preoccupation with the Covid fight in the state, DM office even refused to acknowledge the request letter, said NCUI officials.
Left with no choice, NCUI has sent a letter to the Central Registrar detailing the inconveniences in finding a RO and seeking further guidelines in the given situation.
“We hope to receive a clarity from the Ministry sooner than later”, said NCUI CE N Satyanarayan on the phone from Andhra Pradesh where he has gone on a personal trip.
Reacting to the development the outgoing President of NCUI Dr Chandra Pal Singh said that the recent circular on appointment of RO has taken a myopic view of the situation. “How a DM or an SDM could know of the MSCS Act 2002 so quickly as to conduct a cooperative election successfully; Cooperative is a specialized sector and only those versed in its statutes and law could successfully conduct the elections.”, retorted the President.
Explaining further Chandra Pal said that officers such as retired Central Registrar or retired Director of Cooperation in the Ministry would always have been a better choice.
Titled “Panel of Returning Officer for Conducting the Elections of the Board of Directors of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies and Banks”, the latest Circular from the Central Registrar says “the Board of all Multi State Cooperative Societies/ Banks may appoint the Returning Officer (RO) for conduct of elections of the societies/banks from the following panel of serving officers,
A. Sitting Assistant Registrar (Co-operatives) or Dy. Registrar (Cooperatives) of the district where the head office of the society/bank is located
B. Any sitting officer equal to or above the rank of Dy. Registrar (Cooperatives) of the Cooperative Department of the State where the head office of the society/bank is located.
C. District Collector of the district or any other officer not below the rank of Dy. Collector/SDM nominated by the Collector where the head office of the society/bank is located, etc.
“We have tried to follow the Circular in letter and spirit but have so far failed to elicit any response from either the DM or the RoC; we would wait to hear from the Ministry on the issue” said Chandra Pal who had travelled from Jhansi to Delhi on Monday.