Kurien appeals to Anand civil court

Irma board meeting today

Varghese Kurien, chairman of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) and also 'chairman' of the Institute of Rural Management-Anand (Irma) has reportedly sought intervention of a civil court here late on Thursday, filing appeal against an order issued by the joint commissioner of charity (Vadodara division).

A stormy meeting of the board of governors of Irma is on the cards, scheduled on Friday morning.

Kurien has filed the appeal through one Sangram Sinh, one of the senior officials with the GCMMF and responsible for handling one of the dairies under the federation, Banaskantha Dairy.

The appeal is expected to open further cans of worms as far as Irma and GCMMF are concerned.

There is also an apprehension within the anti-Kurien lobby that the crucial meeting finally might not be held if the civil court intervenes before the meeting starts as Sinh in his petition has also sought court's opinion on the legality of the meting called by K Prathap Reddy, director of Irma.

"If the court comes out with a judgment on Friday morning before the meeting starts and the court calls Reddy's decision to call the meeting as invalid, the meeting be cancelled. Anyway, all the 15 members of the board of governors are expected to attend this meeting including Amrita Patel, chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and those five members of the board of governors who, according to Kurien, ceased to be members of the board since February 15 inspite of the fact that all these members of the board were given an extension for two years from February 28, the day when the last meeting of the board took place," said one of the members of the board requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, it has been reliably learnt that Reddy might submit his resignation before the board on Friday if the order of Anand civil court goes in favour of Kurien. Kurien's resignation is also on the cards in case of the court favouring Reddy.

"Now it has reached to a climax point. Things may get murkier if the meeting is allowed to be held on Friday as a major section of the members of the board are going to demand Kurien's resignation from the coveted post," said the source while Kurien and Reddy stayed away from making comments on the late development.

Hearing at the Civil Court is slated to begin on Friday at 9.30 am while the meeting of the board is scheduled at 10.30 am, an hour later.