After loss of half crore taka, UCC pocket committee formed!

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Patuakhali: After the loss of half a crore taka of BRDB in Patuakhali's Kalapara, this time there has been an allegation of forming a pocket committee of the Upazila Central Cooperative Society (UCC) with respect to the loan defaulters without paying attention to the Cooperative Societies Act and Rules. There have even been allegations that several candidates who want to participate in the UCC elections were forcibly prevented from buying nomination forms. 

According to sources, the election committee announced the election schedule of Kalapara UCC on February 25, 2024 according to Rule 27 of the Cooperative Societies Rules 2004. In the announced schedule, forms are to be sold from the UCC office on 4th March from 10 am to 3 pm, but no candidate was allowed to collect the forms by force. Then on March 7, the election committee announced a single valid candidate list of 8 people with loan defaulters. After that, without following the Cooperative Societies Act and Rules, the Election Committee declared this pocket committee of the UCC on April 2, 2024 without a vote. 

The source also said that according to Clause 3 of Rule-24 of the Cooperative Society Act and Rules, the loan received from the cooperative society at the individual level or given to others by way of security is paid in full before submission of the nomination paper and will not be eligible to participate in the election. Clause 4 of the same rules states that the defaulting members of the association cannot participate in the election of the cooperative society until 75% of the defaulting loan is paid before filing the nomination. But even though UCC's pocket committee director Asit Ranjan Sarkar has no debt in his own name, he owes Tk 1 lakh 15 thousand to Chinguria Farmers Cooperative Society, another director Noor Mohammad Howlader owes Tk 79 thousand to East Madukhali North Farmers Cooperative Society. Director Md Ishaq Miar owes Tk 1 lakh 20 thousand to Naobhanga Farmers Cooperative Society, director Chiddik Howlader owes Tk 60 thousand and he owes Tk 3 lakh 5 thousand to West Khanjura Farmers Cooperative Society. Even the 8 members of this pocket committee of UCC did not deposit any shares and savings every financial year. Besides, Pocket Committee President Abdur Razzak Talukdar was the Inspector of BRDB and President of UCC.

UCC president candidate Syed Mofazzel Hossain said, ‘I sent my son to buy the form on the date of sale, he was not allowed to buy.’ 

Siddique Howladar, director of the newly announced committee of UCC and president of West Khanjura Farmers' Cooperative Society, said, ‘I owe money to myself and to the members of the society. I did not pay on time. I will give the money.' 

UCC election committee member and upazila cooperative office inspector Md. Kamal Hossain said, ‘The election was conducted properly. We have not received any complaint.’ UCC's newly announced committee president Abdur Razzak Talukdar also demanded that the election be held properly.

Kalapara BRDB official Mahbub Hasan Shibli said, ‘As the term of the UCC committee has expired, I have written to the appropriate authorities of the Directorate of Cooperatives to hold the elections. It is the responsibility of the Election Committee to conduct the election in accordance with the Cooperative Societies Act and Rules. However, the election committee did not ask me for any information regarding the candidates' loans.’ 

District Cooperative Officer Pankaj Kumar Chand said, ‘In case of irregularities in the UCC elections, appeals can be made within the prescribed time and disputes can be filed in the Directorate of Cooperatives.’ Divisional Cooperative Joint register Abdullah al Mamun said, ‘Action will be taken if complaints are received regarding violation of rules.' 

Before this, the information about the loss of half a crore of taka BRDB was leaked in the report of the internal investigation committee of UCC. Although UCC chairman and BRDB officials have been managing the concerned high ups for a long time and misappropriate money but the concerned authorities have not taken any action. - Gofran Biswas Palash