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| J&K reluctant to empower cooperative bodies, 500 still defunct | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Aug 25: Over 500 cooperative bodies including three apex level institutions and five cooperative banks have languishing for years together with no indication of Jammu and Kashmir government especially cooperative ministry planning any immediate political revival package for them.
These institutions numbering 562 have been functioning only in name because mandatory elections to these bodies have not been held for last more than 6 years. This has brought the political and administrative independence of these institutions to near extinction and their existence is being maintained with life support system of Adhocism and nomination, both of which run contrary to the letter and spirit of existence of these bodies.
Even though the state cooperative ministry, headed by Dr. Manohar Lal has been repeatedly talking of holding civic elections, there is no indication of any substantive step being taken in that direction. If the sources are to be believed, not the congress MOS with independent charge but a particular National Conference (NC) leader who is also minister in the ruling coalition has been calling shots in the cooperative department.
Sources disclosed that proposals for holding elections are not looked at seriously and instead, a casual approach is being adapted for reasons best known to the ministry for not holding the elections which are already overdue. Elections for cooperative institutions are more dependent on the need for rehabilitation of certain disgruntled or dejected party leaders of political outfits which are in power, added sources.
Such is the callousness that no proposal with firm details of how and when impending elections to these cooperative bodies would be held was ever discussed since their terms expired. As a result of this pitilessness, holding elections to these institutions which are considered backbone of rural economy of Jammu and Kashmir in the near future still appears to be distant dream.
In Jammu, the institutions which have been rendered defunct by inability of government to hold elections includes 10 marketing societies, 92 primary agricultural cooperative societies and 178 cooperative consumer stores. Of the 10 marketing societies, 3 marketing societies have been lying defunct from the date of registration while election petitions of three marketing societies are still pending before different forums.
Sources said that two marketing societies Vijaypur and Jammu are being run by administrators. They added that elections for Super Bazar Jammu were last held in 1967 and thereafter, a board of directors (BODs) was appointed in 2003 to oversee working of the bazaar. But elections have still not been held. Not only this, elections to three apex level institutions have been pending since the last four to seven years.
Of these apex institutions, elections to Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (JKCSMFL) have been pending since March 2006, to Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Union Limited since October 2003 and to Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Housing Corporation Limited (JKCHCL) since August 2006.
In Kashmir division, elections are pending for 45 marketing societies, 225 primary agriculture cooperative societies, District Cooperative Society (DCS) Pulwama and District Cooperative Society (DCS) since January 18, 2005 while for District Cooperative Society (DCS) Anantnag, elections have been pending since November 14, 2004. The cooperative society of Srinagar is without an elected body since September 8, 2003.
As far as cooperative Banks are concerned, elections for Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Bank Limited (JKCBL) Srinagar and Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Limited (JKCARDB) since December 8, 2003 while for Anantnag Central Cooperative Bank Limited (ACCBL) since January 23, 2003 and Baramulla Central Cooperative Bank Limited (ACCBL) since January 31, 2004.
On the other side, elections to Jammu Central Cooperative Bank Limited (JCCBL) Jammu have been pending since September 3, 2007. Officials of the cooperative department assert that holding of elections under cooperative societies act and the rules is a statutory responsibility of incumbent managements. "Consequent upon the failure of such managements to hold elections, administrators and board of administrators have been appointed to manage affairs of these institutions," added an officer. |
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