Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

UDF to oppose fund-raising by cooperatives

Thiruvananthapuram: The United Democratic Front on Monday decided to oppose the Cooperative Department’s directive forcing societies to mobilise funds for the rehabilitation fund and setting up libraries.

Addressing a press conference here, UDF convener P.P. Thankachan said the UDF representatives in the cooperative sector would participate in the proposed Sahakarna Congress in its bid to thwart the CPI(M)’s bid to capture cooperative bodies.

He said the Cooperative Department had issued a circular to societies to contribute amounts ranging from Rs.5,000 to Rs.2 lakh depending on their respective grades towards setting up libraries through mandatory purchase of books from the National Book Stall, owned by the Sahitya Pravartaka Cooperative Society. Similarly, the societies had been directed to contribute amounts ranging from Rs.3,000 to Rs.15 lakh towards the proposed cooperative rehabilitation fund.

Mr. Thankachan said the circular was issued unilaterally and was not backed by a Government order or Cabinet decision. According to the existing cooperative laws, fund mobilisation was possible only under the common good rules. The powers rested with the respective societies and not with the registrar of cooperatives.

The UDF Sahakari leadership, at its meeting on Monday, felt that the two fund-raising moves brought out the CPI(M)’s hidden agenda. The CPI(M) leadership wanted to utilise 40 per cent of the rehabilitation fund for setting up educational institutions under its control. The setting up of libraries was intended to push unsold stock with the NBS, mainly of unread authors who owed allegiance to the CPI(M), he said.

The monitoring committee set up for mobilising funds had been packed with CPI(M) representatives, he said and opposed the method of selecting delegates for the Sahakarna Congress.

The UDF convener condemned the involvement of private secretaries of the Cooperation Minister in the fund mobilisation programme, leading to threats that societies that did not comply would be disbanded.

According to sources, the Congress leaders snubbed the other UDF partners, particularly the CMP. The latter was angling for a boycott of the Sahakarna Congress. Congress leaders such as Aryadan Mohammed, C.V. Padmarajan and K.A. Chandran flayed the CMP for its negative role while handling the portfolio when the UDF was in power. The Congress, they said, was not willing to sacrifice any more its undeniable presence in the cooperative sector.

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