The internal row in the cooperative sector in Surat seems to have reached a flashpoint in the New Year.
It all started during a board meeting last month during which a proposal was made to help Vyara Sugar, a cooperative, tide over financial crisis. Despite the proposal being accepted by all the board members, Naresh Patel, Director of Surat district cooperative bank and Sumul Dairy, opposed it. Following this, he was asked to resign from his post by the BJP president and submit his resignation by Wednesday.
With none of that happening despite the deadline getting over, Surat district BJP president Bharat Rathod is contemplating approaching the higher-ups in the party to decide the future course of action. On Tuesday, Rathod had sent a message to Naresh Patel, asking him to resign from the two posts on which he was on the “BJP’s mandate”.
Talking to The Indian Express, Rathod said, “Acting on instructions from state party leaders, we sought resignation from Naresh Patel for his indiscipline, including giving statements to media persons against party leaders. I called him five times on Wednesday but neither did he respond on the phone nor send any message to me. Now, we will make representation to the state party higher-ups to decide the future course of action.”
In 2022, Naresh Patel was appointed as vice-chairman of Vyara Sugar Cooperative Society while Mansinh Patel was made Chairman of Sumul Dairy. The state government had allotted Rs 30 crore to restart Vyara Sugar, which was shut down in 2014 due to losses. In Tapi district, Vyara Sugar has over 24,000 registered members who are farmers and grow sugarcane in their fields.
However, this financial year, Vyara Sugar has been facing problems in paying the pending amount to the farmers for their agricultural produce.
According to a source, “During a meeting last month, Mansinh Patel, who is also chairman of Mahuva Sugar society, had put forward an idea before Vyara Sugar Board members, stating that Sumul Dairy will purchase molasses from Mahuva Sugar for which a payment of Rs 10 crores will be done in advance. Mahuva Sugar will then transfer the payment to Vyara sugar. The proposal was accepted by the board of directors of Vyara sugar society, but Naresh Patel objected to it and gave resignation from the post of vice-chairman of Vyara sugar.”
Vyara Sugar Chairman Mansinh Patel told The Indian Express: “I…decided to help Vyara sugar, which is facing fund issues. The amount of Rs 10 crore was paid to Mahuva sugar by Sumul Dairy as advance payment for purchase of molasses. The fund was transferred to Vyara sugar from Mahuva sugar. Vyara sugar had also begun supplying molasses to Mahuva sugar…” He further said, “Sumul Dairy purchases molasses from different sugar cooperative societies for its cattle feed plant in Surat district. The annual requirement is 20,000 tons of molasses.”
Naresh Patel could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
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