Demand to scrap recent changes made in GCCI constitution

The Samiti has demanded that all the activities,management and other affairs of GCCI be run by a high-powered committee until these two demands are met. Besides Natumama,the Samiti includes Natubhai Patel (Popularwala) vice-president,Pravinbhai Patel (secretary),Kiritbhai Patel,Sunil Oza (advocate),Dipakbhai Kiratsata (advocate),Ramesh Patel (Dudhwala),Yogesh Bhansali,Pankaj Patel (owner of Chanchal party plot) and Dhanesh Soni.

The need to form the Samiti was felt after a section of GCCI members felt that certain persons wanted to occupy power by making the constitution inflexible by means of the latest amendments. “The work of suggesting amendments was assigned to lawyer Sudhir Nanavati whose job was to ensure that GCCI constitution is reduced to a tool to fulfil political ambitions,” said a statement issued by the Samiti on Monday with signatures of Natumama and Pravin Patel.

The statement further read because of this action,several reputed members who did not believe in having the Chamber’s image tarnished in pursuit of personal ambitions stayed off all the activities in the recent past. Natumama said a memorandum listing the demands was handed over to the GCCI president Rupesh Shah,“who has promised to look into it and explore the legal angle”.

Chamber president Rupesh Shah admitted that a memorandum was submitted to him but said as a president he himself had a limited role in the whole thing. “Whatever changes they want to bring into the constitution,these have to be approved by the executive committee and the annual general meeting with majority vote if not unanimously,” Shah said. He said he had asked the delegation to come again with their proposal after some time.

However,Girish Dani,former GCCI president,who is in the eye of the storm over the issue,has ruled out any rethinking on the changes. He said these changes were endorsed by the annual general meeting and by the executive committee.

“When something is endorsed by AGM,there remains no scope of having a discussion on it. AGM is supreme and no one can go beyond its decisions,” Dani said.