Jethabhai is Gujarat Milk Fed chairman

Adhering to glorious tradition of unanimous elections of its chairmen since the inception in 1973, Asia’s largest milk cooperative Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) with turnover of `21,000 crore has yet another chairman elected unanimously.Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-backed veteran leader in dairy co-operative Jethabhai Patel elected unanimously as the chairman of GCMMF on Wednesday, the apex marketing body of 17 major dairy unions of Gujarat that sells milk and its products under prestigious ‘Amul’ brand name. Patel is also chairman of one of the biggest dairies in India ‘Sabar Dairy’ situated at Himatnagar in North Gujarat. He was unanimously elected as chairman of GCMMF for the next two-and-a-half-years.

It was a cakewalk for the BJP supported candidate as 16 out of 17 dairy unions are being controlled by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Apart from a co-operative registrar and Managing Director, Chairmen of all 17 dairy unions are the board members of GCMMF and they are having power to make the chairman of GCMMF.

Patel, who has been elected twice as chairman of Sabar Dairy, was made interim chairman of GCMMF after the forced ouster of previous chairman Vipul Chaudhary for alleged financial irregularity.