Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

UDF threatens to boycott Cooperative Congress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition UDF has threatened to boycott the Cooperative Congress being planned by the Government if it does not stop ‘forcible collection’ of funds from the cooperatives, UDF convener P.P. Thankachan said here on Saturday.

Addressing a news conference, Mr. Thankachan alleged that the Government was exerting undue pressure on the cooperatives to donate huge sums for the Cooperative Congress. The sums being demanded by the Government ranged from Rs.15,000 to Rs.50,000. Earlier, there was no insistence on payment of such sums or any stipulation on their quantum.

All that the Government used to do was to issue permissive sanction enabling the cooperatives to make contributions depending on their ability to pay. The Government should withdraw the relevant order as it amounted to an attack on the democratic character of the cooperative movement, the UDF convener said.

Mr. Thankachan said the Government was also intimidating the cooperatives into paying huge sums to the Cooperative Revival Fund for projects such as establishment of libraries. The Government was also resorting to vindictive action against officials who refuse to toe its line on the issue. The suspension of some officials who had refused to participate in a meeting convened by the Cooperation Minister’s personal staff member was part of this, he added.

He also came down on the Government decision to reject the Vaidyanathan Committee report on streamlining the cooperative sector. The report had been accepted and implemented by 13 States. Kerala was opposing it on the ground that it would result in erosion of its authority. The Government stand was wrong.

Failure to implement the recommendations of the committee would also result in the State losing Rs.800 crore in Central assistance annually, he pointed out.

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