Gujarat HC orders status quo in dairy federation board

Anand, Feb 22 (UNI) A division bench of the Gujarat High Court today ordered status quo in the constitution of the board of National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI).

The bench has also ordered issuance of notice for final disposal of the matter on next Tuesday.

The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) filed a petition challenging the rejection of GCMMF chairman V Kurien's nomination on the ground that the returning officer had not prepared and published the eligible voters' list, said a release here today.

On the election day on February 15, Additional Registrar of Co-operatives V C Joshi, the returning officer, had rejected the nominations of Dr Kurien and Madhya Pradesh Milk Federation chairman Mahendra Singh on the ground that their names were proposed by persons who were not eligible or qualified to vote.

The counsel for GCMMF submitted that since proper procedures were not followed, the returning officer could not declare election of new board members.

The counsel also contended that the elections were to be conducted as per the provisions of Multi-State Co-operatives Act, 2002, but the election of the board members was without following the procedures, and the chairman's election was not even held within the fixed time, said the release.

Since the new board members have not yet assumed the charge of their offices as per rule 45(5) of the Act, the earlier board members and chairman (Dr Kurien) would continue to hold their offices, subject to the final disposal of the case.

UNI RP-VKC SSS RP HS2123