Complete election for 'Amul' chairman in one month: Gujarat HC

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat High Court today directed the Anand district collector to complete in 30 days the election process for the post of chairman of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, the owner of the famous 'Amul' dairy brand.

The division bench of Justices D H Waghela and M B Shah, hearing the petition of Vadodara District Milk Producers Cooperative Union (Baroda Dairy), directed the collector to announce the election programme in two weeks.

The election process will have to be completed within two weeks thereafter.

The term of present chairman Parthi Bhatol ended on June 26, but as the election programme was not announced by the Collector's office, he is still in charge of the politically important GCMMF, which has annual turn-over of Rs 11,660 crore.

The GCMMF election has always been marked by fierce politicking since the exit of Dr Verghees Kurien.

GCMMF's managing director, R S Sodhi, had written to the collector's office to start the election process in 15 days before Bhatol's term ended.

"In spite of present chairman's term nearing its end, collectorate had not initiated the process. Hence we filed the petition," said advocate Ashish Shah, Baroda Dairy's lawyer.

Vadodara District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union is one of the 16 milk producer unions which vote in the election.