ICFA lacks sanctity to give award to KCR: Congress

Hyderabad: The Congress party has alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was manipulating and misusing the Agriculture Leadership Award conferred by the Indian Council for Food & Agriculture (ICFA) to cover up his government’s inefficiency, create political camouflages and gain political advantages fooling people of Telangana. "Unfortunately, Governor of Telangana E.S.L. Narasimhan is also part of such unwanted dubious campaign," it alleged.

In his reply to the objections raised by ICFA on criticism by the Congress party on the issue, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Chief Spokesperson Dr. Sravan Dasoju sent an eight-page and 3,000 word letter while questioning the very credibility of ICFA itself. "A perusal of the records furnished by M/s. Indian Council for Food and Agriculture (ICFA) to the Registrar of Companies clearly shows that this company is registered on 5th June, 2015, while in your letter it was claimed that you are giving these awards from the year 2008," he said.

As per RoC records, the M/s ICFA is wholly and solely owned and controlled by M.J. Khan, who has business interests in companies such as M/s. Concept Agrotech Consultants Limited and M/s. Bhagidhari Agrotech Private Limited which are essentially commercial organisations having business interests in agricultural and related activities. It can also be seen from the returns filed before the Registrar of Companies that M/s. ICFA is being run on the money given by M/s. Concept Agrotech Consultants Private limited and M.J. Khan, who have business interests in agricultural and related activities.

ICFA has a board of directors consisting of 3 directors namely M.J. Khan, Alok Sinha and Sunil Kumar. "It would not be out of place to mention here that Sunil Kumar is the director in companies such as M/s Azardica Foods Private Limited, M/s N.V. Indian Agro Fresh Private Limited, and M/s Synergy Technology Private Limited, which show a clear interest in agriculture and agricultural related sectors. Similarly Alok Sinha is a director in various companies including National Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited, M/s Entegra Limited etc. The RoC records clearly indicate that that M/s. Entegra Limited has debts exceeding Rs. 280 Crores, which do not appear to have been repaid," alleged Sravan.

Further, the Congress leader pointed that the balance sheet of M/s ICFA, as on 31st March, 2016 shows that no payments/salaries were paid to employees and no expenses incurred in promotional activities or for any activity of any nature in the business year 2015-16. It is also observed that the share capital of M/s ICFA is only of Rs. 66,639 and the expenditure sought to have been incurred by ICFA is that of Rs. 21,830 towards printing and stationery and even the auditor fee of Rs. 7000/- has remained unpaid. "It is evident from RoC records and the balance sheet submitted by M/s ICFA that it has not undertaken any activity, incurred any expenditure of even a single rupee and While it was claimed in your letter written to us that Global Agriculture Leadership Awards Event was held in the year 2015 and the award was given to Shri Shivraj Chauhan. Would you please clarify if such a grand event of global awards distribution can happen without any trace of expenditure?," he asked the ICFA.

Sravan also contended that as per RoC records, the ICFA has only three directors and no 20 distinguished persons as being claimed by the organisation.

The Congress leader also asked ICFA to explain the policies of KCR which have impacted millions of farmers and the agricultural reforms which has impressed the Awards Committee. "In your letter it was also mentioned that neither you nor any of your directors of M/s. ICFA visited Telangana in the last 2 years. As per our knowledge even Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman of National Awards committee has not visited Telangana in the recent past. Hence, we request you clarify how could any jury or organization judge the credentials of Chief Minister of Telangana without making any field visits and without interacting with any relevant stake holders. We also question if ICFA is cognizant of blatant truth that state of Telangana stands second in farmers’ suicides after state of Maharashtra," he asked.

Sravan also asked ICFA to give details of number of applications it received or considered for Global Leadership 2017 Award under Policy Category and what was the criteria for selection of the persons to whom any award is to be given. "What are the specific policies and documents that were considered or referred while declaring this award to K Chandrasekhar Rao? How many field visits were made by awards committee to assess the ground realties and if so when, where and whom did the awards committee meet? How many meetings of awards committee were held to finalize the award and what were the venues and timings?" he asked.