‘Gokul’ Dairy Imbroglio To End, Fadnavis Indicates

India’s former Chief Justice B R Gavai’s opinion on the political imbroglio at the ‘Gokul’ milk producers’ cooperative in Kolhapur became a talk of the town since the body has elected 13 directors opposed to the state’s ruling Mahayuti alliance, which managed to win 12 seats, thus creating a deadlock. The Mahayuti government then got an ordinance issued through the State Governor to provide for nomination of five directors on any institution having turnover exceeding Rs 500 crore a year. Thus, the ruling alliance’s majority now can be shown at the next meeting of the directors. Meanwhile, reports became viral that Gavai had expressed the view that the state government should not to resort to issuing the ordinance. Though Gavai has not commented on the news, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has explained that Gokul is limited to just a small area of the state and hence has not a very large field of influence. About Gavai’s reported advice, Fadnavis said perhaps Gavai was not apprised of the entire set of situations. Elaborating on his remark, the CM said if the stalemate at Gokul continued, ultimately it would be ruled by the district deputy registrar of the cooperation department, thus indirectly putting it under the government. Instead, because of the ordinance, the Gokul board will be able to function according to its own wisdom.  Fadnavis reiterated that his government had no intention of interfering into the affairs of the largest cooperative milk federation in Maharashtra.