Sacked Managing Director of NAFED says a 'farmland of corruption'

New Delhi, July 15 (ANI): C. V. Anand Bose, the sacked Managing Director of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) on Thursday refuted the allegations of corruption levelled against him.

Refuting the allegations, Bose called the organization a 'farmland of corruption' and said billions of rupees had been lost in corrupt deals.

"This farmers organization (NAFED) unfortunately has become a farmland of corruption, not small petty corruption, very big corruption. Government has unfolded a corruption of Rs. 1,600 crores, said Bose.

"NAFED took out, which is now known as notorious tie-up business of Rs. 3,900 crores. NAFED took money from banks, gave it to the private parties for business. The private parties did business, made profits but the money did not come to profit," he added.

Bose further said the Government has approved his appointment and the Board cannot sack him.

"The present MD has been appointed by the Government of India and the post has been approved by Appointment Committee of the Cabinet, and such an MD, who is approved by the Government cannot be sacked by the Board," he clamed.

Bose said that he suspended five corrupt senior officers, and the backlash had resulted in his sacking.

"The mandate which government has given to me when I was sent as MD, is to parse the organization, contain corruption, take actions against those who are corrupt in the organization. I did my duty. I have suspended more than five corrupt senior officers. Many of the corrupt senior officials are facing inquiry in front of the CBI," said Bose.

"One senior officer has been arrested and one very prominent businessman of Delhi, who also defrauded the organization, was also arrested. Then, the arm of the law also started stretching towards some of the members of the board. That is why the board decided to take actions against me," he added.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had on Tuesday termed NAFED's decision to sack Bose as 'incorrect' " and asked the cooperative to reconsider it.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) of India Limited was set up with the object to promote cooperative marketing of agricultural produce for benefiting the farmers.

The Federation has more than 800 primary marketing and processing societies at the state level. (ANI)