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Verghese Kurien may lose perks

Dr. Verghese Kurien

AHMEDABAD: Some small perks being provided to the giant of the milk revolution in the country, Verghese Kurien, are being threatened to be withdrawn by the present BJP-controlled Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation.

When Dr. Kurien finally quit the post of the chEairman of the GCMMF in 2006, the Federation board passed a resolution to continue to provide the octogenarian veteran of the co-operative movement the facilities of a car and a driver for his personal use and a cook at his Anand residence.

The resolution then was passed unanimously by the board, largely under the control of the Congress supporters, as a recognition of his services to the co-operative movement in general and the milk revolution in the country in particular both as the chairman of the GCMMF and the National Dairy Development Board.

Dr. Kurien was the founder-chairman of both the NDDB and the GCMMF and held the posts for more than three decades.

The resolution attracted the attention of the then Registrar of Co-operatives, G.C. Murmu, who had written a note to the GCMMF pointing out that the State Co-operative Act did not provide for extending special perks to any retiring member.

The Registrar’s note, however, was virtually ignored by the board and the perks continued for Dr. Kurien for the last two and half years since he quit the GCMMF chairmanship, till it was picked up by the chairman of the Baroda dairy and member of the GCMMF board, Madhu Srivastava, at its last meeting on January 28.

A BJP member of the Assembly, Mr. Srivastava brought up the 30-month-old note of Mr. Murmu to raise objections to Dr. Kurien being provided the perks in “violation” of the Co-operative Act.

Mr. Srivastava said he was personally not against Dr. Kurien being given the “honour” for his services, but it could not be continued if it violated the Act. With the complexion of the GCMMF board drastically changed and the BJP supporters elected in various dairies in the State taking over the Federation’s control, it agreed to fall in line with Mr. Srivastava, but instead of straightway withdrawing the perks, decided to leave the issue to the Chief Minister for a decision.

Presently he does not own a personal car and would have to buy one if the vehicle is withdrawn. He stopped accepting any salary ever since he turned 58 and performed honorary services to the NDDB for the next 24 years and the GCMMF for the next 28 years till he quit both offices.

Away from Anand for the last five weeks or so, he was not immediately available for his comments, but family sources said no communication had been received by him from the GCMMF about the status of his perks.

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