Team Herald
PONDA: Surya Gawde, the chairman of the Mardol headquartered VPK Urban Co-operative Society, has said that the society would challenge order of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies suspending the Managing Director Ashok Gaude for “gross mismanagement.”
Addressing a press conference at the society’s its head office at Mardol, Gawade said the order suspending Ashok Gaude was bad in law.
He said that his Board of Directors (BoD) did not violate any cooperative rules while extending loan limit and also taken permission from government for opening new branches.
He said that VPK had moved a proposal for amending its bylaws to enhance the existing loan limit of Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore. “The proposal was approved by the general body on September 28, 2013 and the then cooperative minister Deepak Dhavalikar had also given his consent to enhance loan limit up to Rs 60 lakh,” he explained.
Gawde said that the amendment was forwarded to the Registrar of Co-operative societies for his approval; however, the latter did not inform the society whether he approved or rejected the amendment within 45 days. “Therefore, bylaws are deemed to be have been amended, hence the BoD has not committed negligence,” he argued.
Further, he said, the MD is an employee of society and not responsible for policy decision of the society. Moreover, he said, loans are disbursed after proper security and guarantee letters from loanee.
On opening four new branches at Dharbandora, Canca, Sanguem and Bethora, he said, it was done so after the BoD approved the same and by following the rules guidelines. “The Registrar of the Co-operative Societies was given prior intimation of the opening of the branches,” he said.
Gawde informed that a special general Body has been convened on November 26 to discuss on order of the Registrar.
He slammed the two former directors of the society who addressed a press conference on the order of the Registrar, saying one of them was a loan defaulter.
He appealed to the society’s customers and depositors not to fall prey to baseless allegations on society by its two former directors who “are doing it with some vested interest.”
MD Ashok Gaude, General Manager Santosh Gaude and the Board of Directors were present at the press briefing.
