GUWAHATI, Oct 30 ? The once flourishing Assam State Cooperative Marketing and Consumers? Federation Ltd (STATFED) is now panting allegedly due to the lack of dedication of its captains to the organisation. Barring a few hundreds in its headquarters, about 1,400 employees in 26 branches of the Federation are not paid their salaries for the past about 53 months. Even, the headquarters-based employees are paid their basic pay only for the past about one year.
It is feared that without a serious intervention from the political top brass of the State administration, the Federation will die an untimely death despite its having a lot of potential to survive and thrive, said the employees organisations of the Federation. Three unions of the Federation?s employees have formed a joint front to fight out the malady that has been crippling the organisation. These unions?STATFED Karmachari Aikya Mancha, STATFED Chaturtha Sreni Karmachari Santha and the STATFED Tripti Vanaspati Praklpa Shramik Santha?represent all but ten employees of the about 1,700 employees of the Federation.
For the past about one year, these organisations of the STATFED employees have been intensifying their agitation combating the way the present chairman ? a nominee of the Dispur political bosses?has been spoiling the already enfeebled Federation. The present chairman allegedly awarded the police, home guard and LPG supply contracts allotted to the STATFED to some private parties of his choice, not even caring to go for tenders. The Federation secured the above contracts following initiatives from the State Government as a supportive measure to provide the besieged cooperative sector venture with some breathers.
The lapses on the part of the chairman do not end here, said the leaders of the Aikya Mancha, Chaturtha Sreni Karmachari Santha and the Tripti Vanaspati Praklpa Karmachari Santha Praneswar Baishya, Bhupen Sarma and Jiten Goswami respectively. The chairman was deliberate in his move to deny the STATFED the chance to float the tender for its salt consignments in September 11 last.
Following long persuasion from the STATFED and the State Government, the Salt Commissioner of India allotted the consignments in August last, they said. The constant refusal of the chairman to award the business of LPG supply to the STATFED employees like in its Dhubri branch and other self-help groups, speaks of some other motives too, said the employees? leaders.
Commenting on the size of the loss the chairman has made the STATFED to incur, they said that in the supply business the Federation was to earn an amount of around Rs 45 lakh annually, while against each of the salt rack it was supposed to earn a profit of Rs 40,000 and against each of the LPG cylinders it could expect a margin of Rs 2.50.
The State Government had made all these respite-providing arrangements after repaying a bank liability of Rs 26 crore on behalf of the Federation, said the employees? leaders. It needs mention that the Federation needs around Rs 985 lakh annually to pay salary to its employees (Rs 960 lakh) and for overhead expenses (Rs 25 lakh). But the present yearly income of the Federation is around Rs 304.34 lakh.
The employees of the Federation have been arguing for undertaking new business ventures and they have been claiming that there are several potential areas where the Federation could make its foray and raise its income up to around Rs 1,556 lakh. The suggested areas include?expansion of the vanaspati plant; handling of the PDS, DRDA items and nutrition programme items; imports of pulses etc, besides, supplying the essential items to the police, home guards and the jails, among others.
The employees also allege that the chairman is also leasing out the STATFED landed property at Kumarpara in the city and at Jorhat respectively to a private party and the State Agricultural Marketing Corporation whimsically.