Cooperative leaders oppose PACS dissolution, seek elections

Cooperative leaders in Telangana have opposed the government’s move to dissolve elected PACS bodies and replace them with nominated ones, demanding immediate elections, restoration of autonomy, and adherence to democratic principles, citing farmer welfare and sector stability concerns.

Hyderabad: Representatives of cooperative societies across Telangana strongly opposed the Congress government’s decision to dissolve elected governing bodies and replace them with nominated ones. They urged the government to ensure autonomy to Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) and conduct transparent elections without delay.

At a press conference in Somajiguda on Thursday, former Telangana State Cooperative Apex Bank (TSCAB) chairman Konduru Ravinder Rao said the decision was against democratic principles. He said around 330 cooperative societies have approached the court. Despite a High Court order directing restoration of the previous governing bodies, the government has not acted for four months.

---

He stressed that the cooperative sector largely serves farmers, with nearly 30 lakh members and business transactions of about Rs 60,000 crore annually. He argued that appointing special officers should be limited to cases of proven irregularities and not applied across the board.

“Dissolving all bodies and introducing nominations is not justified,” he said, demanding immediate elections. He added that the existing bodies should be allowed to function until polls are held.

Other representatives also raised concerns over political interference, which they said was linked to broader distress among farmers, especially in crop procurement. They recalled reforms during the tenure of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and later under K Chandrashekhar Rao, which strengthened the cooperative system.