There are 4,534 primary agricultural credit cooperative societies in the state. Their elections were held in the year 2013. – (File photo)
Highlights
The process was supposed to start from June 26 but has not happened yet. The process is likely to start again after the monsoon. About 50 lakh farmers are associated with the cooperative societies.
State Bureau, Naiduniya, Bhopal. The elections of cooperative societies are not being held in the state for a long time. Its process started on the instructions of the High Court, but the member list could not be prepared, so the elections have been postponed again. The work got affected due to farmers being busy in sowing Kharif crops. In view of this, now preparations are being made to hold elections after the monsoon. It is worth mentioning that the elections of Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Society, District Cooperative Central Bank and Apex Bank were held in the state in the year 2013. Since then, only administrators are posted. 
About 50 lakh farmers are associated with the cooperative societies of the state. There are 4,534 primary agricultural credit cooperative societies in the state. Their elections were held in the year 2013. The tenure of their board of directors was till the year 2018. After this, the government did not conduct elections, due to which elections of the board of directors of the District Cooperative Central Bank and Apex Bank were also not held. Whereas, there is a provision to hold elections every 5 years.
In case of no elections, an administrator can be appointed first for 6 months and then for a maximum of 1 year, but this period has also passed. Regarding this, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had directed the government to conduct elections for the Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies. The State Cooperative Election Authority had released the election program in four phases from 26 June to 9 September. In which voting was proposed on 8, 11, 28 August and 4 September, but the election process has not started yet.
Sources say that the government does not want to hold elections right now, so this is not being given attention. The elections have been postponed citing the membership list not being ready and the farmers being busy sowing Kharif crops. Now these can be held in October-November after the monsoon is over.
Due to this reason elections got postponed
Immediately after their election, the then Shivraj government postponed them in view of the assembly elections. After this, the Kamal Nath government, which came to power, extended it due to the Kisan Karj Mafi Yojana and the Lok Sabha elections and appointed administrators in the district banks. Since then these elections have been postponed. Meanwhile, the matter reached the High Court. The High Court gave instructions to conduct the elections, on which the State Cooperative Election Authority also released the program but due to the Lok Sabha elections, these were postponed again.
There will be no elections for ineligible committees
Departmental officials say that elections will not be held for those committees which are ineligible for various reasons. This includes institutions declared ineligible for not paying the amount of fertilizers and seeds, irregularities in the procurement of wheat, paddy and other crops or for other reasons.
Elections on non-party basis but political interference is complete
The elections of cooperative societies are held on a non-party basis, but political parties have full interference in them. BJP and Congress have cooperative cells, which make all the arrangements for the elections. Congress has also formed a committee for the elections comprising former cooperative minister Bhagwan Singh Yadav, Dr. Govind Singh, former Union minister Arun Yadav and Rajya Sabha member Ashok Singh.