The state government has sent a letter to the board of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) to discontinue the perks given to founder chairman Dr Verghese Kurien. Kurien headed the GCMMF for 33 years and resigned in 2006.

State Agriculture and Co-operative Minister Dilip Sanghani said: “As per the Cooperative Act, there is no provision wherein a founder member or chairman continues to get the facilities after he resigns.”

He added: “The Act, which is in place in Gujarat since 1963, does not mention of providing any such facilities. Therefore, we have directed the board to find out if there is any such provision available.”

Asked why the government realised the provisions in the Act only now, the minister skipped the question and said, “It is as per the law.”

The board has decided that facilities to Dr Kurien, like the car used by him and his wife, drivers and cook will be continued. After the state government’s letter to discontinue the facilities to Dr Kurien, Baroda Dairy Chairman and BJP legislator Madhu Srivastava proposed the board to implement the directive at the earliest.

“I just mentioned that this is against the law. The board will get dissolved if the state government’s directive is not followed,” said Srivastava.

In the recent board meeting, he proposed to cut the perks given to Dr Kurien quoting provisions in the Cooperative Act, which allow such perks only after a permission regarding the same is given by the state government.

Vipul Chaudhry, Mehsana Dairy Co-operative Union Chairman confirmed that the board received the letter from the state government.

Srivastava said that as per the Cooperative law, providing such facilities to Dr Kurien without the permission of the state government is unlawful. “It is better to take the permission of the state government, otherwise the board will have to bear the expenses,” he said.

He said the board members have now decided to meet Chief Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.