Premnath is KMF’s new MD; employees confused

While employees of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) remained confused over the ongoing tussle between the two managing directors, AS Premnath assumed office with police protection on Wednesday. To avoid any untoward incident, the police deputed two battalions of KSRP and at least 100 policemen in KMF’s premises.

The federation’s board meeting, chaired by Revanna Siddappa on Tuesday, passed a resolution suspending managing director MN Venkataramu and appointing Premnath in his place. However, Venkataramu refused to receive the suspension order thus delaying Premnath’s assumption of the post by one day.

When Premnath assumed office, Venkataramu was at the secretariat to meet Manjula, principal secretary, animal husbandry department. “I’m not aware of Premnath assuming office as I could not go to KMF office. I submitted a detailed report to the principal secretary about the incidents that took place on Tuesday,’’ Venkataramu said. While expressing displeasure over the incidents that took place on Tuesday in KMF office premises, minister for cooperation BJ Puttaswamy said the suspension of Venkataramu was legal. “Premnath has assumed office as managing director as per the board’s resolution. There is nothing wrong,’’ he said.

On Manjula’s letter advising KMF not to conduct the board meeting, he said the government was taken it seriously. “Additional registrar of cooperative societies has been asked to conduct an inquiry into the misdeeds of Venkataramu and submit a report in three months,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, many employees feel that caste factor played a key role in the replacement of Venkataramu. Venkataramu belongs to a Scheduled Caste (SC) while Premnath is from the Lingayat community. “Venkataramu was promoted as managing director after Somasekhara Reddy became chairman of the KMF. He had worked as MD from August 2009 to April 2010. Circumstances compelled Venkataramu to make way for Premnath to become MD from April 2010 to January 2012.