election of the Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Goa State Co-operative Bank

PANJIM: The election of the Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Goa State Co-operative Bank was held on schedule yesterday. However, the result of the election will be subject to the result of the petition pending in the High Court.

While admitting a petition filed by a shareholder and elected member Director of the bank, Narayan Mandrekar, the single bench of Justice RS Mohite observed that it is yet to be determined whether persons nominated as Director can continue even after an Administrator was appointed by an High Court order and whether these nominated members have a right to vote on the election of the office bearers.

The respondents - returning officer HP Gemini, Central Registrar of Co-operative Society, Goa State Co-operative Bank and the other Board members - will have to file their reply within two weeks. The matter will come up again on October 18.

The petitioners had challenged the validity of the notice on September 1, 2007, regarding the election of Chairman and Vice-chairman issued by Returning officer appointed by the Central Registrar for conducting elections including that of office bearers of the bank. They had submitted that no election programme for the election on September 6 was prepared or published, in terms of para 7 (3) of the Schedule to the Multi State Co-operative Societies Rules 2002.

To the arguments of the petitioner's counsel, BR Naik, that no notice about the election was given to the four nominated Directors on Board, entitled to vote or contest, the counsel for the co-operative bank, SR Rivonkar submitted that the four persons nominated as Director by the government ceased to be in the Board, once the Board is dissolved and an administrator appointed.

He added that at present there is no nominated Director in the Board and the election for the post of chairman and vice-chairman can take place without the nominated Directors.

The petitioners further contended that they had learnt from the Returning Officer that one individual Director, who was elected yesterday, would not be entitled to contest for the post of Chairman and Vice-chairman and there will be no notice issued to the individual Director. They further stated the Returning Officer mandatorily required to announce schedule of election of Chairman and vice-chairman and/ or the office bearers of the bank and also required to intimate the schedule of election to all the newly elected or nominated members of the Board.