KARACHI, Oct 11: The adviser to the Sindh chief minister on livestock and fisheries affairs, Faqir Mohammad Jadam Mangrio, has been made the administrator of the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS).

An order to this effect, which came as a surprise to many, has been issued here by the FCS manager administration.

However, the order does not mention the status of the present 15-member board of directors of the FCS comprising elected representatives of the fishermen community and the government nominees.

The office order dated Oct 8, 2007 issued by the manager administration simply states: “As per office order dated 8-10-2007 issued by the Registrar Cooperative Societies, government of Sindh, Mr Faqir Mohammad Jadam Mangrio has joined as administrator, Fishermen Cooperative Society”.

A senior FCS director, Haji Shafi Mohammad Jamote, said, “We have not received any notification from the registrar regarding the dissolution of the existing board of directors.”

“Normally under the Society’s bylaws, the management of the Society shall be entrusted to a board of directors comprising 15 directors: seven are elected by the fishermen and eight are nominated by the government who shall hold office for three years or until a new board is elected, but such elections shall not be delayed more than six months after the expiry of three-year”, he added quoting the relevant rutes.

According to Bylaw-39, subject to the bylaws and resolutions passed at the general body meeting, the board shall have full authority to carry on the business of the society.

He said that although the tenure of the present board came to an end on Aug 4 but it continued to function until a new board was elected.

Mr Jamote questioned under what law an order had been issued by a subordinate authority to appoint an administrator and it was not clear whether the board had been dissolved or not as no notice had been issued to any board member explaining the reasons of the dissolution.

He said that the appointment of the adviser who was currently holding the dual charge of chairman FCS and Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority was illegal and in total violation of the Society’s bylaws.

He said that a general body meeting of the Society held last month passed an important amendment to the bylaws of the society proposing that the number of FCS elected directors be increased and the government nominees be reduced.