Team Herald

PONDA: Goa Dairy Administrator Damodar Moraskar suspended the Dairy’s Managing Director (MD) Navso C Sawanth, on Friday.  

In his suspension order, Moraskar said that Sawanth is being suspended as per the order of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies (RCS), as the High Court of Bombay at Goa has refused to stay the said order. Moraskar’s order further stated that Sawanth is suspended for conducting inquiry into the affairs of Goa Dairy.

During his suspension period, Sawanth has been directed to report to the office of the Assistant Registrar of the Co-operative Societies, Sahakar Bhavan at Curti.

The events preceding the suspension are that, the former chairman of Goa Dairy Madhav Sahakari complained to the RCS that Sawanth committed irregularities in running the dairy and demanded an enquiry into its affairs. Following this, a charted accountant was appointed to conduct an enquiry whose report gave an account of the irregularities committed by the officials of the dairy, including that of Sawanth. 

Subsequently, RCS dissolved the Board of Directors of Goa Dairy and appointed Moraskar as its administrator and directed him to place Sawanth under suspension pending inquiry. 

However, even before Moraskar could take over Goa Dairy as its administrator, Sawanth challenged the RCS order before the High Court, praying for a stay on the same, which was rejected. 

In fact, six months ago, Sawanth was suspended by Sahakari for the same reason of committing irregularities. However, Sawanth refused to obey the order on ground that then Chairman Sahakari did not have the authority to suspend him and that only the BoD had such powers. 

Later, following a no confidence motion moved against him by the BoD, Sahakari resigned as Goa Dairy chairman.