Srinagar: The Kashmir Press Club (KPC) on Friday said the incumbent Management Body of the club received an order by the Registrar of Firms and Societies, Kashmir informing that the re-registration certificate issued to the club on 29/12/2021 under Society Registration Act, 1860 has been kept in abeyance.

In a statement, it said the authorities issued the order after the Club Management had set in motion the process of electing the new management body as well as the executive committee members. “As mandated by the club’s Constitution, the incumbent management body had on January 13, 2022 announced February 15, 2022 as the tentative date for holding the elections to the new body and was in the process of issuing other official notifications including the notification with regard to the constitution of the election committee. In this regard the club had also called a meeting of its management body as well as the executive committee members on January 15, 2022.” said the statement.

To present a timeline of the events, the public notice to the already registered societies of the region for re-registration was issued on in April, 2021 and the democratically elected management body of the KPC wasted no time in applying for the re-registration and by first week of May, 2021 had already filed the application for grant of registration under the Society Registration Act, 1860 before the Registrar of Firms and Societies, Kashmir, Srinagar.

It further said that the management in the meantime also wrote official letters to the concerned authorities to expedite the re-registration process so that elections to the society could be held at the earliest. The Registration Certificate was issued to the Club following a due process and clearance mechanism, including the Non-Involvement/ Verification of Character and Antecedents Certificate which was issued by the Office of District Commissioner/ District Magistrate Srinagar vide No:Dms/Jud/Soc/21/742 dated 24/12/2021.

“In fact, the club management was legally bound and also had the mandate of majority of its members to safeguard the interests of the Kashmir Press Club when it applied for re-registration process following due course of law. The management body had been waiting for the official formalities to be put in place and as soon as that was communicated to it last week, the decision to hold the elections was taken and announced. However with the new unfortunate development the registration of the society has been put on hold which has advertently also stalled the election process for the new body that was set in motion,” the statement reads.

“The management committee wants to put this on record that during its tenure it has run the KPC with professionalism and integrity. It hopes that the institution, which has been established after a lot of efforts by the fraternity, continues to be allowed to function in the best interests of its members without any undue interference,” it said.

KR Desk