Affiliated bodies for milk union revival
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 30 2014:
Cooperative societies affiliated to the Manipur Milk Producers Cooperative Union Limited have urged the authorities concerned to revive the union in order to address the plight of dairy farmers.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today Tronglaobi-Terakhong-shangbi Cooperative Society secretary Dr I Ibotombi said that many benefits which dairy farmers should get were wasted as the union remained defunct since the past one year.
Benefits of many Central sponsored schemes have been forfeited as the union did not submit utilization certificates in time.
As no more meeting of the technical monitoring committee was held, the union has not been applying for any new scheme.
An MoU signed between the union and the Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Department will lapse on April 14 next year.
Based on the MoU which is for a term of five years, the union was using the dairy farming infrastructure and land located at Porompat, Ibotombi said.
On account of several disputes and a pending legal case, the union has been crippled.
In case the union still remains defunct even after the expiry of the MoU, many dairy farmers would be left in a quandary, not knowing where to market their milk.
Around 244 cooperative societies are affiliated to the union.
The union was run by a board of directors who were elected by representatives of the affiliated societies.
Then the union's chairman and managing director were elected from amongst the board of directors.
There is tussle over the post of managing director even though the High Court of Manipur has already issued a ruling which stated that one Veterinary officer (not lower than class II in rank) should be appointed managing director.
Meanwhile, a joint meeting of the cooperative societies affiliated to the union was held today and they decided to work collectively towards transformation of the High Court ruling into action.