HC nod to GCMMF for no-confidence motion against Vipul Chaudhary

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court today allowed Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) to implement the no-confidence motion passed against its chairman Vipul Chaudhary.

Justice Paresh Upadhyay today allowed the federation to implement the no-confidence motion passed against Chaudhary by 14 of 18 directors in the meeting on December 5.

However, when Chaudhary's lawyers sought time to appeal against the judgement, the court stayed the order till January 11 for GCMMF chairman to seek remedy.

"The applicant - Milk Marketing Federation Ltd is at liberty to implement the resolution expressing no-confidence against Vipul Chaudhary, the chairperson of the federation," the court observed.

A no confidence motion, pressing for Chaudhary's ouster for the alleged mismanagement in affairs of the federation, was passed in a meeting of Board of Directors of GCMMF on December 5.

In October, 14 out of the 17 member unions of the GCMMF board had moved no-confidence motion against Chaudhary who was elected as its chairman in August 2012.

Chaudhary had approached the high court against the motion. A single judge bench of the court had stayed the meeting, which was challenged by GCMMF before a division bench.

The bench had allowed the board meeting to take place and resolution of the no-confidence motion to be passed.

However, the decisions of the meeting cannot be implemented without the permission of the High Court.

Established in 1973, GCMMF is India's largest food product marketing organisation which clocked an annual turnover of USD 2.54 billion in 2012-13.

It markets its product under brand name Amul. Its daily milk procurement is approximately 13 million litres, from 16, 914 village milk co-operative societies, 17 member unions covering 24 districts, and 3.18 million milk producer members.