Employees of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies take out rally in Krishnagiri

All Staff Association of Tamil Nadu Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies took out a rally in Krishnagiri as part of the statewide protests over a 12-point charter of demands on Monday.

All Staff Association of Tamil Nadu Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies took out a rally in Krishnagiri as part of the statewide protests over a 12-point charter of demands on Monday.

The protesters alleged that the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies were pushed into meeting targets and forced to issue credits by relaxing of guidelines, and later the employees of the societies were taken to task with the change in the government. 

“At the time of general elections, oral instructions are issued by the officials to issue more credit to the members and the guidelines are relaxed orally.  However, once the government is changed, action is initiated against the staff for violation of guidelines.  Action is often initiated against the secretaries of cooperative societies, and the staff,” the association alleged.  Such action initiated against the secretaries and the staff must be dropped uniformly across societies, it said.

The societies are faced with deficit in the balance sheets owing to the loan waivers. The crop loans, jewel loans, SHG loans and the interest foregone should be compensated to relieve the financial burden of the societies. The default in jewel loans and the loss incurred through auctioning of the jewels is sought to be compensated from the retirement funds of the secretaries for no fault of theirs, according to the association.

The financial audit of the societies’ accounts is fraught with ‘corrupt’ external audit system. Financial audit must be brought within the department of cooperatives.

Similarly, staffs are transferred to far-off district without a hearing of their preference subjecting them to personal grief. This is especially traumatic for female staff, according to the association.

Similarly, the PAC godowns selling agriculture inputs are being set up for multi-department inspections and interferences by politicians.  A high-powered committee must be set up to remedy these complaints and streamline the work environment for the workers, the association demanded.