Mumbai: The trustee board of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) will appoint a new chairperson for their board next week. This comes after their incumbent chairperson, Yazdi H Desai, resigned from his post on December 23, citing health reasons.
Founded in the 1670s, BPP is the apex body representing the Parsi Zoroastrian community in Mumbai and is one of the oldest charitable trust in the city. The members of the trustee board appoint its chairperson, who serves a seven-year tenure.
BPP was supposed to hold an election for the post of one board member in March 2021 after a former member passed away this year. However, following Desai's resignation from his post, now elections will be held for the post of two board members in March next year.
Desai's wife Anahita informed that he had suffered a stroke earlier in April this year which has affected his speech and comprehension. Anahita also stated that she is intending to contest the elections in March for the place of a trustee member in the board.
"At present Mr. Desai is undergoing speech and cognitive therapies and it will take some time for him to recover" Anahita told FPJ.
Kersi Randeria, a senior board member of the trust, said that the seniormost member of the board is usually being appointed as the chairperson unless the board members choose to oppose the member unanimously.
"After Desai, Armaity Tirandaz is the seniormost member in the board, she could become the next chairperson, unless members of the board opposes her appointment," Randeria told FPJ.
The tenure for the post of a chairperson lasts for seven years in BPP, however, the new chairperson will have his/her tenure till 2023 following which the board will again appoint its chairperson.
"Desai has already served five years of his tenure, the new chairperson will serve till 2023 after which the board will again appoint its chairperson," Randeria added.
Viraf Mehta, another member of the trustee board, stated that Desai's resignation is yet to be accepted officially by the board.
"We have received the resignation but it has not been accepted yet, the board will convene an emergency meeting next week over video conference where the resignation will be officially accepted and decision on the new chairperson would be taken," Mehta told FPJ.
Desai was appointed as the chairperson in 2016, prior to that he had spent seven years as a board member.
