[Pisi Zauing]
MIAO, 6 Jul: Established 40 years back, the Large Area Multipurpose Society (LAMPS) here in Changlang district was once known as one of the largest and fastest-growing cooperatives of Arunachal Pradesh.
For two decades, from 1980 to 2000, the public of the Miao administrative subdivision, especially the farming community, benefitted from the LAMPS.
However, owing to mismanagement and wanton corruption, the reputation of the LAMPS has dwindled to such an extent that, at this juncture, the public avoid visiting the establishment.
Today, the counters of the cooperative society stands empty and the trend of rush of customers has halted.
To look after the business of the cooperative society, there is a seven-member board of directors (BoD) who are also shareholders. They said that they are “always kept in darkness regarding the business of the LAMPS.”
Some members of the BoD lodged a complaint with the Changlang DC on 19 March, alleging that the incumbent ARCS & Managing Director, T Buyling, “is not competent enough to run the business of the Miao LAMPS.”
The complainants alleged “large-scale irregularities” and claimed that the cooperative society is “on the verge of complete obliteration.”
Furthermore, the complainants informed the deputy commissioner that “a retail fair price shop (FPS) margin money, amounting to Rs 10 lakhs, was received by the cooperative early this year, but the ARCS kept the board of directors in darkness and did not disclose where the money has been spent or invested, if any.”
The letter further stated that the cooperative society runs three FPS’, in Miao, Neotan, and Namphai-I town “but the ARCS does not exhibit any interest in running them smoothly, resulting in the ration card holders not getting their monthly share of rations on time.”
The complainants also alleged that all three existing counters in Miao are almost defunct due to mismanagement.
The DC was also informed that the LAMPS has “three existing godowns in Kharsang, which have been given out on lease to private parties on a monthly rental fare of Rs 36,000.”
The complainants alleged that “the ARCS has the habit of collecting the monthly rent personally, which is never deposited in the account of the cooperative, and the auditing of the financial transactions is never heard.”
The complainants also stated that the profit-making dairy farm in Miao, run by the cooperative, is almost defunct, owing to mismanagement.
Astonishingly, the members who raised their voice against the establishment and were signatories to the letter of complaint were replaced on 26 April by new members, without taking them into confidence.
Talking to this correspondent, one of the replaced senior member of the BoD, Nongri Taidong, said that the Miao LAMPS Cooperative Society Ltd “is almost on the threshold of shutdown as the incumbent ARCS-cum-managing director has failed tremendously in making it a profit-making venture.”
The complainants had in their letter urged the DC to constitute an inquiry committee to unearth the irregularities, and also sought audit of the financial status and business of the cooperative.
However, since his continuance in the post has the potential to derail the entire establishment, the complainants had urged the DC to relieve Buyling from the post of the ARCS-cum-managing director immediately and make internal arrangements by handing over the charge to the Jairampur MD or any other officer deemed fit, “but no action has yet been initiated till date by the district authority.”
Meanwhile, the United Miao Mission and it’s youth wing, the Miao Singpho Ramma Hpung reminded the DC that the cooperative societies in Jairampur and Bordumsa, which were far behind the Miao LAMPS in terms of resources, business and infrastructure, have come a long way and have become huge profit-making units.
The customers, especially the farmers of Jairampur and Bordumsa, are benefiting largely from their cooperatives, they said.
The two organisations have urged the Changlang DC to take the complaint seriously and save the LAMPS here.
