PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has issued notice to the Goa government over a plea challenging the government’s decision to appoint an administrator to run the affairs of the Goa State Co-operative Milk Producers' Union Ltd despite elections being held and a duly elected body scheduled to take charge.
“The act of the State, for the reasons best known to the State, clearly frustrates the object of the act when an elected body was to take over the charge. The State Government, without giving any opportunity to such an elected body, appointed one officer to manage the affairs of the Society. There is nothing in the order to state that there was any special reason for the Government to overlook the elected body and trust a Government official to manage the affairs of the Society,” the bench of Justices Prasanna B Varale and Bharat Deshpande, ruled.
The petitioner, one Shivanand Pednekar told the court that the elections were conducted and after the elections on 18.07.2022, the elected Chairman of the said Society was to take charge.
“Now before this hand-over and taking over charge, the State Government passed the order dated 14.07.2022 whereby one officer holding the position of SLAO attached to Goa Industrial Development Corporation was directed to hold the post of Managing Director of the said Society,” the petitioner told the court.
“Issue notice to the Respondents making the same returnable within four weeks. By way of an interim order, the Respondents are directed not to implement the order dated 14.07.2022, till the next date, if it is not already implemented.” the High Court ruled.
