OUR STAFF REPORTER Indore

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the Cooperative Department to appoint an election officer for Mahatma Gandhi Housing Cooperative Society polls within four weeks.

Justice Prakash Shrivastava issued the directives on a petition of Umesh Patel.

On behalf of petitioner counsel Rahul Sethi informed the court that the society was superseded vide order dated 25/ 3/ 2010 and a working committee was constituted for a period of one year. The counsel stated that now the period is well over and elections should be conducted.

The petitioner demanded appointment of a returning officer for the elections.

The respondents said that they have no objection in appointing the returning officer but they sought some time for the same. The court gave four weeks time to the respondents.

Tough time for Co- op dept T he problems of cooperative department have compounded after the court passed an order for appointment of election officer in a stipulated time period. Actually, the department has not made seniority list of the society despite the release of membership list two years back. Besides, no action has been taken against former chairman of the society, Sundarlal Sharma, who had misplaced documents of the society. Action on irregularity of crores of rupees by the society is also pending. It is to be noted that crackdown on housing cooperative societies in the city had begun after irregularities of this society had surfaced.