National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) president Dileep Sanghani on Sunday said the government should not take away its authority to collect and maintain a fund to promote cooperative education and training.
The Cooperative Education Fund was created under Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984, and has been maintained by NCUI since inception as per guidelines of the government.
Multi-state cooperative societies contribute one per cent out of their net profits in any year to the Cooperative Education Fund, as per the 63 (1) (b) of the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act (MSCS), 2002. About Rs 25 crore is collected annually.
The cooperation ministry has proposed amendments to the MSCS Act 2002 to take control of the fund and use proceeds for cooperative education and training through NCUI or any other agency.
Opposing this clause in the draft amendments to the MSCS Act, NCUI president said, "The maintenance of Cooperative Education Fund by the government will give a signal that the government wants to control the fund, in which it has no contribution, which is against the autonomous principles of cooperatives.