CPI demands immediate elections to PACS and DCCBs

Vijayawada: CPI State president G Eswaraiah has urged Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to take immediate steps to conduct elections to the cooperative credit institutions in the State, including 1,895 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and 13 District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCBs).

In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister on Sunday, Eswaraiah pointed out that these institutions are mandated to have democratically elected governing bodies every five years.

He stated that although tenure of the elected bodies that came to power in 2013 ended in 2018, elections have not been conducted so far. Instead, nominated governing body committees are being appointed for six-month terms and extended periodically. This practice, he said, has weakened cooperative system, affected transparency, and brought the functioning of societies under the control of officials and employees rather than elected representatives.

Eswaraiah expressed concern that nominated committees are taking policy decisions, violating provisions of Andhra Pradesh Cooperative Societies Act, 1964, which restrict them to day-to-day administration. He noted that due to the absence of elections, SC, ST, and BC communities have been deprived of representation in governing bodies. Citing Section 31 and Rule 22 of the Act, he said elections would ensure reservation for SC, ST, and BC members in PACS and DCCBs.

Due to nominations, nearly 10,000 eligible candidates from these communities have lost director posts. He demanded immediate elections and implementation of reservations, including for chairman posts and the APCOB director positions.